Former EU Employee Survived Years Homeless in Spain

Why this is here: Latyr Thioye lived with a community of roughly 37,000 people experiencing homelessness in Spain, a number he believes is manageable for a country of nearly 50 million.

Latyr Thioye, a former European Commission employee from Belgium, spent nearly four years experiencing homelessness in Spain after a forged check triggered a fraud investigation and passport confiscation. Initially expecting a three-day trip, Thioye found himself trapped as authorities investigated, unable to work legally or leave the country despite no border controls. He lived in a self-organized community of people experiencing homelessness, taking informal jobs to survive.

A cancer diagnosis brought him into contact with HOGAR SÍ, a Spanish non-profit, which provided shelter and support during chemotherapy—care he couldn’t receive while living on the streets. Thioye now works remotely, rebuilding his life through freelance assignments.

He currently shares his story in the documentary What Nobody Wants to See at the World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan, arguing that Spain, with roughly 37,000 people experiencing homelessness, has the resources to address the crisis. The investigation into the forged check ultimately concluded with no charges filed against him, but cost him four years of his life.