Ottawa under fire after drowning of Syrian toddler, whose family wanted to emigrate to Canada

Canada’s Conservative government came under fire after it emerged that the family of a Syrian toddler whose body washed up on a Turkish beach had wanted to emigrate to Canada, rattling Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s re-election bid.

A photograph of the body of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi face down in the sand at the Aegean resort of Bodrum swept social media and appeared prominently on front pages, spawning sympathy and outrage at the perceived inaction of developed nations in helping refugees.

Kurdi, his elder brother, Galib,  and mother, Rehan,  all drowned. Their father Abdullah survived.

READ MORE: ‘My children slipped through my hands’: Father of drowned Syrian toddler shares harrowing story

The boy’s aunt, Vancouver resident Tima Kurdi, said on Thursday she had hoped to bring Abdullah and his family to Canada, but had first tried to sponsor another brother, currently in Germany, an application that was rejected.

Kurdi, breaking down repeatedly during an emotional news conference, said her brother told her how his sons and wife had perished in the choppy waters and revealed she had sent money to help the family leave Turkey.

“I told him ‘I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have sent you the money to go. If I hadn’t sent you the money you wouldn’t have left’,” she said.

She also said she did not want to “just blame the Canadian government. I’m blaming the whole world for this”.