Naguib Sawiris, founder of the telecommunications company , Orascom Telecom Media & Technology (OTMT), and Egypt's third richest man tweeted last week his intention to buy an island either in Greece or Italy to accommodate the influx of refugees and migrants who have been fleeing to Europe from war-torn countries in the Middle East and Africa.
He is eyeing to purchase an island either in Greece or Italy and expressed that he will send formal letters to Prime Ministers Alexis Tsipras and Matteo Renzi of these countries as a formal gesture for this particular purpose.
In a phone interview with Forbes, Sawiris reaffirmed his plan and said "I am serious with my intentions. I want to feel good about having done something good. Provide me with the island and I will do the rest."
Last Friday, Sawiris told CNN that "It's a very simple solution. They sell the island to me and I'll make a temporary shelter for these people. I'll make a small port or marina for the boats to land there. I'll employ the people to build their own homes, their schools, a hospital, a university, a hotel."
He added that he is willing to pay for the island and safe boats to carry the refugees and migrants. He will even provide food, temporary power and hire new citizens to create this small city and community.
Earlier he said that he has the money and resources to push through with the plan, citing his developed land and experiences when it comes to logistics.
Sawiris wants to name the island "Ilan", the 3 -year old Syrian boy whose drowned body was washed up in Turkish shores. The photo of the toddler inspired Sawiris to tweet his proposal. "My conscience has been awakened by the picture of this child being taken in the sea," he explained. "God put the image of this child in front of us for a reason. He could have been swallowed by the ocean."
Sawiris, whose net worth amounts to $2.9 billion, said "there is no limit "on what he is willing to spend to buy the island.
Thousands of people have died already while travelling through the Mediterranean Sea going to Europe. Images of small bodies being swept on European beaches and the news of 71 refugees who died in a truck in Austria have seriously shaken the continent.
