A former employee of the European Commission, Latier lived a stable middle-class life in Belgium. But that stability gave way to uncertainty almost overnight, as she found herself sleeping in a tent on the streets of Spain. There, he was trapped for almost four years while authorities investigated a case of fraud. He was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing.
Now, at the World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan, he is sharing his story publicly through a documentary what no one wants to see.
On WUF13, united nations habitat has brought together partners including The Gere Foundation and HOGAR SÍ to put homelessness at the center of the global urban agenda – highlighting not only the scale of the crisis, but also the possibility of ending it.
HOGAR SÍ, a non-profit, independent organization founded in 1998, works to end homelessness in Spain. Over more than 25 years, it has supported more than 10,000 people in 11 regions by focusing on housing solutions and protecting human rights – Latir among them.
“My life was good,” Latir told UN News on the sidelines of the forum. “And I lost it from one day to the next.”
a journey that never ends
When Latir arrived in Spain, he expected to stay only three days.
At the time, he was around 40 years old and lived in Belgium. He was recently divorced and lost his job at the European Commission. Still, he had a family, children and what he calls a “normal life.” Then a decision came which changed everything.
Some people contacted them and it appeared it was a legitimate bank transaction involving a cheque. Thioye never touched the document himself – he simply asked for it to be sent directly to his bank in Spain.
But when the check arrived, the bank officials realized that it was fake.
Authorities confiscated his passport, bank cards and documents, despite suspecting that he might be part of a larger criminal network.
“They told me: You have to stay in Spain. You can’t leave the country until the investigation is complete,” he said.
Every month, he had to appear before a judge and sign papers proving he was still there.
He could have run away. There were no real border controls preventing him from leaving Spain for another European country. But he decided not to do so.
“I didn’t want to take that risk,” he said quietly.
life under the trees
Instead, he stayed – and gradually became homeless.
Latier lived on the streets for almost four years. Living alone in a foreign country and unable to work legally without an identity card, he survived day by day.
They found a small community of homeless people living in tents under trees near a wooded area. Together, they created a fragile version of a normal life.
“We were well organized in our place,” he recalled. “We bought vegetables, meat, small things for cooking. We tried to make a life.”
To survive, he took informal jobs in street markets, helping vendors carry boxes of fruits and vegetables. Despite holding degrees in economics and finance, he earned enough money to buy food and basic supplies.
“It was alive,” he said.
Illness – and a turning point
Then illness came.
Doctors first diagnosed him with emphysema. Later he found out that he had lung cancer. Although Spain provided medical care to those in need, treatment was not straightforward.
“The doctor told me: If I give you chemotherapy while you’re on the street, you’ll die,” Latir recalled.
He was told that the treatment was too aggressive. She needed a safe place to rest, eat properly, and take her medication regularly.
Then HOGAR SÍ stepped in. The organization placed him in a shelter called “Espacio Salut” – literally “health place” – where he received a bed, food, and support during chemotherapy.
“It saved my life,” he said. “But it also gave me a chance to get off the streets.”
Gradually he started reconstruction. Based on his background in economics and finance, he started taking freelance assignments on his laptop. Former contacts and clients in London, France, and the United States began sending him works from afar.
Even years later, he struggles to understand how quickly a normal life can collapse.
“Sometimes, when you are frustrated and not very strong in the mind, you can make mistakes,” he reflected. “And those mistakes can take you very far from reality.”
‘Four years of my life gone’
What still pains him most is that after years of investigation, the authorities eventually returned his passport and belongings without any explanation. No charges were ever filed against him.
“He said: OK, take your passport back, take your laptop back,” he recalled. “And that was all.”
By then four years of his life had passed.
Today, Latir speaks publicly about homelessness through the documentary what no one wants to see. At the World Urban Forum, his message was aimed not only at governments, but also businesses and housing developers.
A crisis that can be solved
He believes solutions to homelessness are possible.
According to him, about 37,000 people live on the streets in Spain – a number he considers manageable for a country of about 50 million people.
“If they want to stop it now, they have the means,” he said.
He points to partnerships between non-profit organizations and private real estate companies that are already exploring affordable housing initiatives for vulnerable people.
“It’s actually possible to do something,” he said. “We just need to think about the right business model and how to tie all these organizations together.”
For Latir, homelessness doesn’t just mean lacking a roof over one’s head. It is about losing dignity, identity and connection to society – often through a series of events that can begin much more rapidly than people imagine.
united nations news is in Baku Covering the summit all week. Follow here.
