Last week, Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris made headlines when he offered to buy a Mediterranean island to help hundreds of thousands Syrian refugees establish a new home. When he expressed intent to purchase a Greek island, he estimated that as many as 200,000 refugees could migrate to the island and help create their very own country, instead of simply returning home when their countries stabilized.
But as of Monday, he’s now looking to purchase two islands that would “host the migrants and provide jobs for them building their new country.”
Since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, more than 22 million individuals have been displaced from their homes and forced to migrate to new areas. Of that number, 2,300 have died at sea in their quest to reach Europe. Mr. Sawiris’ aid would no doubt help ease the burden of the crisis.
As The Telegraph reports, Sawiris’ company released a statement on Monday disclosing that he has “identified two privately owned Greek islands that constitute a good opportunity for the project.”
“We have corresponded with the owners and expressed our interest to go into negotiation with them,” Sawiris said.
There are presently more than 1,200 Greek islands – fewer than 300 of them are populated. Sawyers has not identified the islands’ current owners, but says that getting the project started will cost about $100 million.
Thankfully, he is not alone in his efforts. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has expressed interest in cooperating on his plan.
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