Almost 10,000 Syrians have registered to live in a country that might not exist

Depending on who you ask, the Republic of Liberland either exists or it doesn't. Czech politician Vit Jedlicka declared it a sovereign state on April 13, claiming approximately 3 square miles of land along the Danube river.

The land, sandwiched between Croatia and Serbia, has been disputed for years. No member of the United Nations recognizes Liberland as a sovereign state. After initial bemusement, Croatian authorities have blocked access to the land and detained Jedlicka on multiple occasions, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.

Despite the country's ambiguous status, Jedlicka says that around 378,000 people have registered to show their interest in citizenship of Liberland so far. And while the reality of Liberland may be still just a dream, for people in desperate situations it appears to be an appealing dream – 9,647 people from war-torn Syria have registered so far, Jedlicka tells WorldViews.

That's higher than the number of registrations from comfortable countries like United States (9,357) or Canada (1,935), Jedlicka notes. A further 1,922 people have also registered from Libya, Jedlicka adds, suggesting that the proclaimed country is especially attractive to those from troubled nations.

When it was announced earlier this year, Liberland was pitched to the world as a libertarian paradise, with optional taxes and severely limited government power. Jedlicka, who is 31, is a Euroskeptic libertarian and he hoped to create a country for like-minded people.

Source: MENA