AN EGYPTIAN billionaire has come up with an unconventional solution to Europe’s refugee crisis — and he wants your help to make it work.

Telecommunications mogul and self-described “freedom fighter” Naguib Sawiris wants Italy or Greece to sell him an island for refugees to settle on.

He announced the “crazy idea” in a stream of tweets but is deadly serious about how it could work. The plan is to call it Aylan Island after the three-year-old boy who died off the coast of Turkey. Interested parties are invited to email their ideas to proposals@otmt.com.

Greece or Italy sell me an island,ill call its independence and host the migrants and provide jobs for them building their new country — Naguib Sawiris (@NaguibSawiris) September 1, 2015

Crazy idea .. Maybe but at least temporary until they can return to their countries ??!! — Naguib Sawiris (@NaguibSawiris) September 1, 2015

Good morning people with a conscious. thank you to all who offered to help and supported my Refugee Island idea.. May God help me realize it — Naguib Sawiris (@NaguibSawiris) September 5, 2015

I found a name for the Island "ILAN "the young Syrian child thrown on turkish shore by the sea to remind us ! Now i need to find the Island! — Naguib Sawiris (@NaguibSawiris) September 5, 2015

#aylanISLAND Everyone who proposed to volunteer or help in creating #aylanISLAND pls email your proposed contribution to proposals@otmt.com — Naguib Sawiris (@NaguibSawiris) September 7, 2015

Mr Sawiris - who owns an Egyptian television station and mobile phone network - said there are “dozens of islands” in Europe which are deserted.

He said they could accommodate hundreds of thousands of refugees with “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.”

Mr Sawiris said the island could cost between $10 million and $100 million with more needed for spending on infrastructure. While it would be difficult initially to set up customs and regulations, it would be better in the long run for the people involved.

“The way they are being treated now, they are being treated like cattle,” he said.

More than 300,000 people have tried to cross the Mediterranean this year with at least 2500 dying in the process, according to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

World leaders have been scambling to provide a compassionate response after pictures of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi and his five-year-old brother Galip dead on a beach were beamed around the world.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron has announced Britain will take “thousands more” and is expected to announce further details of the plan, while Australian RAF pilots are on standby to make air strikes against IS targets this week.

However Mr Sawiris’ idea is not the first time a wealthy businessman has brought it upon themselves to find a solution. Real estate mogul Jason Buzi has also proposed a ‘Refugee Nation” to help record numbers of displaced people by purchasing land or building a new country from scratch in international waters.