Drowned Syrian boys' family was trying to seek refuge in Canada

By Lorraine Caballero, Christian Post Contributor Friday, September 04, 2015

The family of the drowned Syrian boys found on a Turkish beach on was trying to seek refuge in Canada after fleeing Kobani, a relative revealed yesterday.

On Wednesday, a photo of a drowned three-year-old's body washed up in the resort of Bodrum went viral and sparked outrage over the situation of refugees fleeing war-torn Syria. Aylan Kurdi's family was trying to emigrate to Canada when tragedy struck them, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Along with Aylan, his mother Rehan, 35, and five-year-old brother Galip drowned after their boat capsized while en route to the Greek island of Kos. Authorities found the boys' father Abdullah half-conscious near Bodrum and took him to the hospital to be treated, the report relays.

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Abdullah's sister Teema Kurdi, who lives in Vancouver, told Canada's National Post newspaper that one of her sisters-in-law called her at 5 a.m. to inform her of the unfortunate news.

The Kurdi family had applied as refugees in Canada but were rejected in June. Teema explained that Canadian authorities denied their application because they had spent some time in Turkey. The UN also has not given them refugee status and Turkey has denied their exit visas, USA Today reports.

"I was trying to sponsor them, and I have my friends and my neighbors who helped me with the bank deposits, but we couldn't get them out, and that is why they went in the boat," the Jerusalem Post quotes Teema. "I was even paying rent for them in Turkey, but it is horrible the way they treat Syrians there."

Turkey had previously agreed to provide asylum for 2 million refugees fleeing the chaotic situation in Syria. However, Turkey recently warned that it is about to reach its full capacity. This has pushed thousands to travel to Greece by water in their attempt to enter Europe.

A few months ago, Kobani became the center of a heavy battle between the Islamic State and Kurdish troops.

According to a naval official, two boats with a total of 23 people on board had traveled from the Bodrum peninsula to Kos. However, authorities presume that at least 12 of the Syrian refugees had died along the way, including Abdullah's family, the report states.

In the wake of the exodus of thousands of refugees to Greece since last year, the UN refugee agency has called on Greece and the European Union to implement solid steps to deal with the situation.