An extraordinary and concerning event was reported from Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat airport, when a 10-year-old child was left by his parents at the terminal, after they realized his passport had expired and he couldn’t board the plane. The situation was shared on TikTok by Lilian, an airport coordinator, who narrated what happened during her workday.
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How did the abandonment happen?
According to Lilian’s account in her video, the events began when she received a notification to return to the “parking” area at the airport. Once there, the police informed her that there was an underage child without an adult present.
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Lilian narrated in her viral post, “the child said that his parents were on the plane, returning to their home country after a vacation.”
The person in charge of coordination contacted the airplane pilot, who proceeded to “announce the case on board,” asking if any of the passengers recognized the child. “Not receiving a response, the staff entered the cabin and searched for the parents by name again.”
Finally, a couple with a younger child walked away from the seat, claiming to be the parents of the child left behind. They explained that they chose to leave the child at the airport because his passport had expired and he needed a visa to enter their destination country. They assured that after boarding the plane, they contacted a relative to come pick up the child at the airport.
The airport police intervened
Lilian stated that the police took the parents along with the two minors to the terminal police station. Although for the adults their choice “seemed logical,” authorities emphasized that it is not allowed to abandon a minor under any circumstances, even in complicated situations related to migration.
The video clip sparked a strong reaction of outrage on social media platforms, where countless people questioned the actions of the parents and the danger they put their child in.