Around 30 homeless people have been sleeping at Heathrow's Terminal 5 because their immigration status has left them unable to claim benefits - including emergency accommodation - during the coronavirus pandemic.
One of the rough sleepers, a professional woman in her 40s from west Africa, told The Guardian the number of homeless people at the airport had doubled since October.
She said councils 'refused' to offer shelter to around 30 rough sleepers at the airport in the London Borough of Hillingdon.
