The refugee crisis in Europe seem to melt the heart of Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris. According to reports, he recently made a request to the governments of Greece and Italy to sell him an island so that he can shelter thousands of refugees in the area.
Going into the details, In a television interview Swairis said he would approach the governments of Greece and Italy, saying there would be “temporary shelters to house the people, then you start employing the people to build housing, schools, universities, hospitals. And if things improve, whoever wants to go back (to their homeland) goes back.”
But he admitted his plan could face challenges, such as figuring out jurisdiction and customs regulations.
Swairis said the important thing is the refugees will be treated like ‘human beings’. “The way they are being treated now, they are being treated like cattle,” he said.
When pictures surfaced of a three-year-old boy’s body lying face-down on the beach, it ignited an outcry around the world.
The Syrian boy, Aylan Kurdi, was one of 12 refugees who drowned when their boat sunk before reaching the Greek island of Kos. Thousands of refugees have died trying to reach Europe by sea this year.
The number of refugees that have entered Europe this year from Syria, Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan, have reached record levels, with Germany expecting to take in a staggering 800 000 refugees. However, the other European Nations are not as willing as Germany to accept the refugees.
