 |
| Aylan Kurdi’s |
Montreal, AFP, 29 December 2015 - Relatives of Aylan Kurdi -- the toddler whose lifeless body was washed ashore on a Turkish beach and has become a heartbreaking symbol of the Syrian refugee crisis -- arrived Monday in Canada where they hope to rebuild their shattered lives.
Canadian media showed the boy’s aunt Tima Kurdi, who now lives in Vancouver after emigrating to Canada in 1992, in tears as she welcomed her brother Mohammed, his wife Ghousun and their three children, at the airport.
Tima Kurdi, from Canada, stands next to a painting of her late nephew, Aylan on a board outside of EU headquarters in Brussels
'Thank you to the Canadian people,' Kurdi said.
'Thank you to our Prime Minister (Justin) Trudeau for opening the door and showing the world how everyone should welcome refugees and save lives. Thank you very much for doing this.'
The refugee policy became a political issue some months back, when the Canadian government earlier was accused of refusing asylum to some members of the family who since drowned. Ottawa said it never received the applications.
Abdullah Kurdi, 40, father of Syrian boys Aylan, 3, and Galip, 5,
Trudeau’s Liberal government has pledged to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of February.
The prime minister earlier this month personally welcomed the first group to arrive at the Toronto airport aboard a military transport plane.
Syrian refugees are greeted by Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on their arrival from Beirut at the Toronto Pearson International Airport
