The airport with over 60m passengers a year where 500 homeless people spend the night

A homelessness crisis in Madrid has led to 500 people regularly sleeping overnight in a Madrid airport.

The number of people sleeping at Adolfo Suárez Madrid Barajas airport is expected to "continue to increase", according to the union for AENA, a state-owned company that manages the majority of Spain's major airports.

The union said the number fluctuates between 400 to 500 at the four-terminal airport, which according to its study, has multiplied by ten since 2014, and the homeless could be young or old, employed or unemployed.

Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez Almeida, said he has offered "full cooperation" to help solve the situation, and told reporters that the Madrid City Council - Samur Social and the City Council's street work team - are already at work.

Almeida said: "We are offering our full cooperation to the airport to be able to find a solution to this problem and to be able to find them the necessary shelter and accommodation,"adding that the social service is "operating at all times" in the city of Madrid to "try to help" the homeless.

However the union accuses AENA of "passing the buck" to the City Council, the Community of Madrid and the Government Delegation in the region, and calls for national Police to intervene.

Speaking to Antena3, Jonil who has been sleeping at the aiport for more than two months said there is a "deep indifference towards us, there is discrimination against misery, we represent misery".

The Brazilian said that people sleeping there have to eat food from the bin, they are unable to shower and have to sleep on the floor, but added there is nowhere to go, and it is the only shelter from the cold.

Speaking about the aiport staff, he said: "It is very humanitarian on their part. If they throw us out of here, I don't know what would become of us."

Airport employees have reportedly asked for management to prevent the increase in numbers, with a worker saying the number has "increased from four to 500".

The increase in recent years reflects broader socioeconomic challenges, including unemployment, housing and the asylum process.