Is this the answer to the migration crisis – a man-made ISLAND in the Mediterranean? Architects design a city incorporating the best of Europe and Africa which would sit off the coast of Tunisia

A Dutch architect claims to have come up with a solution to the European migrant crisis: building a city in the Mediterranean Sea.

Theo Deutinger has called his project 'Europe In Africa'; an artificial island built above the seabed between Tunisia and Italy, populated exclusively by refugees hoping to reach Europe.

Europe in Africa (EIA) would be a separate state with its own constitution, economic and social system, complete with a university, a football stadium, airport and local government.

Refugee utopia: Europe in Africa (EIA) is a proposal for a new refugee-only city-state on an artificial island to be built on the shallow Tunisian Plateau right between Tunisia and Italy in the Mediterranean Sea

The island of EIA would be a city-state, such as San Marino, or Monaco, with the land rented from Tunisia and Italy on a 99-year lease, and the EU paying the rent for the first 25 years, which is when Deutinger expects the EIA to be self-sufficient.

It would not be part of the EU, Schengen zone or the Euro Zone, but a sovereign state.

Residents are granted at arrival with an EIA citizenship (EIA passport), thus are no refugees. After living and working for 5 years in EIA the residents would be able to apply for a EU citizenship which enables them to reside and work in any EU country.

'We established the idea two years ago as a reaction to the growing amount of drowning in the Mediterranean Sea and the total ignorance by the European Union,' Deutinger told MailOnline.

'We started to work out a plan for a city on land but realized that even the most welcoming country only grants temporary residents permits to refugees. Refugees are not allowed to build steady long lasting structures because the host countries are afraid of permanent settlements; e.g. Jordan, one of the most welcoming countries to Syrian refugees, is afraid of having Syrian cities on their territory. 

Answer to a crisis: The island of EIA would be a sovereign state separate from the EU, Schengen, and the Euro Zone, with the land rented from Tunisia and Italy on a 99-year lease, and the EU paying the rent for the first 25 years

Solution: Theo Deutinger was inspired to come up with the EIA after the number of deaths of refugees and migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to enter Europe

'Tents provided by the UN are only lasting six months, on purpose, in order to guarantee the temporary state of these settlements that house up to 500.000 people. As an effect the people cannot start building a future and thus get more and more depressed.  

Deutinger tells MailOnline that if the team could start with the planning and technical design, he estimates that construction of the EIA could begin withing two years, with the first EIA citizens to move to the island 'in about three years'. 

The initial design is for the EIA to accept 150,000 inhabitants, but Deutinger adds that 'no one will be turned away from the EIA'.

'There is no maximum since the island is expendable. The only limit is the speed of construction.

The rule is that everybody / every family is welcome that can support itself by residing - ie living and working - on the island. 

'Nobody will be turned away because the island is “full” but because there is no work and therefore no basis for surviving on the island. The most immediate jobs will be in the building sector since all houses, but also service and infrastructure, need to be built. 

'With the first jobs first, other needs and businesses will appear like supermarkets, home furniture shops and entertainment.

'EIA is everything the European Union wants to be,' Deutinger adds.