Father of drowned 3-year-old toddler Alan Kurdi has explicitly blamed Canada for the disaster that unfolded in the Aegean sea earlier this month, leading to the tragic loss of his family. The incident created major ripples across the world and sparked tremendous international outrage. According to Abdullah Kurdi, the family, after having originally fled the Northern Syrian city of Kobani to Turkey, had sought refuge in Canada, where his sister Tima Kurdi was already endeavoring to expedite sponsorship of his brother Mohammad. According to reports, the refusal of his application by Canadian authorities had led Abdullah to opt for Greece in an attempt to secure a more favorable outcome for his family.
The family reportedly embarked on their journey to Greece in the wee hours of September 2, when their small boat departing from a Turkish beach resort capsized under the weight of surging waters. News of the incident featuring a photograph of little Alan’s body subsequently washed up on shore was broadcast around the world, igniting a flurry of fierce criticism. The incident once again sparked a heated discourse across international networks on the enormous plight of refugees in recent times, particularly in the immediate aftermath of war and turmoil in the more volatile parts of the Middle East.
The incident involving the Kurdi family also ostensibly kindled serious concerns among sections of the Canadian leadership, with some having no qualms about questioning the country’s stance on the issue of refugee resettlement. Many advocating concerted measures to assist more and more Syrian families in Canada to be able to sponsor new refugee families under existing immigration laws are already under the spotlight.
Conservative leader Stephen Harper has asserted that any immediate airlifting of refugees into Canadian territory will be in clear conformity with the country’s requisite safety clearance procedures in order to ensure security of its own citizens. This after having proclaimed last month that approximately 10,000 refugees from strife-ridden Iraq and Syria are expected to be permitted into the country over the next three to four years.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Barack Obama has also announced his readiness to accommodate as many as 10,000 Syrian refugees in the next fiscal year, owing to the enormous pressure being exerted upon the country to heighten up resettlement of Syrian refugees primarily in response to the intensifying flood of migrants pouring into Europe more recently.
[Image Credit: Chris Hopkins/Getty Images]
