Duke of Arjona houses two Syrian families that fled war-torn country

Home Top

The Duggars rally around Josh's wife at family wedding: Jim Bob, Michelle and the kids take a tense-looking Anna to their cousin's big day as they prepare for further sex scandal revelations
EXCLUSIVE: 'Doctor, where is my son?': Agony of the mother who claims newborn was swapped with a 'changeling' in an El Salvador hospital as she comes face to face with the doctor held for 'trafficking'
'Run, Joe, run!': Biden cheered as he delivers passionate Labor Day speech on the economy - doing little to quell presidential campaign speculation
'Monster' iPad with a 12.9 inch screen set to launch on Wednesday alongside new iPhones, Apple TV and even a new cheaper gold watch
Former Taliban captive Bowe Bergdahl hit with charge that has rarely been used since WWII and could mean life behind bars
American expat weeps with relief as she's CLEARED of murdering her multi-millionaire Wall Street husband in their lavish Costa Rica bolthole
There was never any proof Amanda Knox was at the scene of Meredith Kercher murder, Italy's top court rules as judge slams prosecutors who were 'frantic for a guilty party'
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's lawyer in critical condition after being shot in the head partying at 3am ahead of the West Indian Day Parade
'I would never have shot Cecil if I knew he had a name': Lion killer dentist breaks his silence as he denies animal took 40 hours to die - and says he will be back to work on Tuesday
Five shot dead, including boy, 7, in Charlotte over bloody Labor Day weekend as city reels from violence that left 10 others wounded
My life with the world's most infamous drug lord: Pablo Escobar's son reveals the heartbreak, fear of violence and seemingly endless wealth he experienced growing up
Amal Clooney is greeted by a huge crowd as she arrives in the Maldives to fight for the release of jailed former president Mohamed Nasheed
From paddles to Pippin: Apple's attempts to take over the living room revealed as it prepares to unveil TV box that doubles as a games console - and can even switch on your lights
Touching moment woman upset at spate of cop killings across America visited a police station so she could hug an officer
Sailor 'shoots his wife dead' while at home with their young children on Labor Day weekend
Laboring away: Presidential candidates hit the campaign trail over holiday weekend as Biden nudges ever closer to running... and Hillary insists she does not need to apologize for the email scandal
'You're still handsome!': Obama heckled by female admirer on trip to Boston and the compliment leaves him (just for once) lost for words
Meet Donald Grump: Sesame Street creates a Trump puppet parody who makes fun of the poor and is the 'grouchiest' garbage mogul who has 'more trash than any of you'
How hundreds of Muslim migrants are converting to Christianity to boost their chances of winning asylum in Germany
Youngest son of eccentric Spanish aristocrat throws open doors of his country home to two Syrian families that fled war-torn country
Angelina Jolie urges Europe to prioritise refugees from war torn countries saying they are in more need than economic migrants
Penned in with 13ft fences topped with razor wire: Migrants treated like prisoners in new 'Alien Holding Center' as Hungary rounds up unrelenting wave of refugees across its border
Refugee shelters being targeted in arson attacks after two suspicious fires at migrant homes in Germany force people to flee
Paraded in front of a jihadi army and beheaded on his knees: ISIS releases 10-minute hi-res film featuring an executioner's sword being sharpened before an Afghan soldier is butchered

The Duke of Arjona has been housing the Syrian families for 18 months
He has now spoken out to stir others to take action as the crisis deepens
Comes after pictures of Aylan, 3, dead on the beach shocked the world
Spain is under pressure to accept 15,000 refugees but has agreed 2,749

Published: 16:25 EST, 7 September 2015 | Updated: 18:59 EST, 7 September 2015

View
comments

Cayetano Martinez de Irujo y Fitz-James Stuart is one of Spain's wealthiest men and is housing two Syrian families at his estate near Seville

One of Spain’s wealthiest men has revealed that he has been housing two Syrian families for the last 18 months as Spain comes under fresh pressure to accept more migrants.

Cayetano Martinez de Irujo y Fitz-James Stuart, the 4th Duke of Arjona and 13th Count of Salvatierra, said he felt duty-bound to help after reading about a highly educated man who was being forced to live on the streets in Spain.

He gave the man, named Salam, and his family a home a year and a half ago but is only speaking out now because he is so ‘angry’ about the crisis that he wants others to take note.

The Duke told Spanish broadcaster Cuatro: ‘I saw this headline that said "We would prefer to go back to dying amid bombs than to keep living in the street". I read the report and I said “I have to do something”.’

‘I always do things and don’t talk about them but in this moment I feel so sensitive about this, so angry, so helpless in the face of what is happening that of course I agreed to speak.’

The duke is one of six children of the Duchess of Alba and became one of the world's most titled aristocrats when she died last November, and one of Spain's wealthiest men.

The man who stirred him into action was Salam, a urologist who speaks five languages but fled to Europe when his practice was bombed, ending up in Spain.

At first he was sleeping on the streets but told Cuatro that his family now has 'a very good future', thanks to the duke.

But hundreds of thousands more Syrians like him are expected to arrive in Europe as they flee the violence tearing their home towns and cities apart.

Tens of thousands are already in Europe after making the dangerous trip across the Aegean Sea which has already hundreds, potentially thousands of refugees, many of whom have paid thousands of euros to people traffickers for a place on a boat.

Last week, the world was shocked into action by pictures of Aylan, three, who was washed up on the shores of Kos, dying alongside his brother Galip, five, and mother Rehan, when their boat capsized in the night.

Here he is pictured with King Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Letizia in Madrid. Cayetano Martinez de Irujo felt duty-bound to help after reading about a highly educated man who was being forced to live on the streets

The duke is one of six children of the Duchess of Alba, pictured with husband Alfonso Diez, and became one of the world's most titled aristocrats when she died last November, and one of Spain's wealthiest men

Spain, along with many other European leaders including Britain, is now under pressure to take in more migrants who are victims of the refugee crisis.

The country has been asked by Europe to take in 15,000 migrants after claiming it could only accommodate 2,749, but still claims it does not have the resources.

But local leaders have since set up a network of places offering to house refugees, which originally started in Barcelona.

Dozens of cities have since got involved, with hundreds of people offering up their homes.