Where am I?

I had a strange encounter at the weekend. Walking along the seafront I was stopped by a man in his twenties who asked me a question. He spoke no English and I couldn't understand him. I thought he wanted to know where he was and so I told him but he couldn't understand me either. He was also talking into his mobile phone which he passed to me. A girl spoke - "Where is this man?" she said. Not which street but which town, where in the country? He had not just lost his way, he had no idea where he was. I told her. She told him. He was elated. I walked on. I couldn't get this out of my mind. It was a freezing cold day and the man only had on thin clothes and was carrying a half full rucksack. What drove him to another country with no belongings, no knowledge of English and probably very little money? Why did he not know where he was? How did he get here? Did he enter the country illegally? What was he going to do next...?