Death of Alan Kurdi
Three-year-old Kurdi lying lifeless on the beach
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| Date | September 2, 2015 |
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| Location | Mediterranean Sea, near Bodrum, Turkey |
| Cause | Drowning |
| Burial | September 4, 2015, Kobanî, Syria |
| Accused | 4 smugglers |
| Charges | Smuggling migrants Causing multiple deaths by conscious negligence |
Alan Kurdi (Kurdish: Alan Kurdî), initially reported as Aylan Kurdi, was a three-year-old Syrian boy of Kurdish ethnic background whose image made global headlines after he drowned on 2 September 2015 in the Mediterranean Sea. He and his family were Syrian refugees trying to reach Europe amid the European refugee crisis (see timeline). Photographs of his body were taken by Turkish journalist Nilüfer Demir and quickly spread around the world, prompting international responses. Because Kurdî's family had reportedly been trying to reach Canada, his death and the wider refugee crisis immediately became an issue in the 2015 Canadian federal election.
Kurdi is believed to have been born about 2012 in Kobanî, Syria. A Syrian journalist claimed that the family name was Shenu; 'Kurdi' was used in Turkey because of their ethnic background. After moving between various cities in northern Syria to escape the civil war and ISIL, his family settled in Turkey. The family returned to Kobanî at the beginning of 2015, but returned to Turkey in June 2015 when ISIL attacked Kobanî again. Following two failed attempts to take the family to the Greek island of Kos, Kurdi's father arranged a third attempt.
Kurdi's family members were hoping to join their relatives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, after his aunt Tima Kurdi filed for refugee sponsorship, but this was rejected by the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada after the family members were denied an exit visa by Turkish authorities. According to the department an application by Abdullah's brother, Mohammad, was rejected as it was incomplete, and no application was ever received from Abdullah Kurdi. Abdullah Kurdi said that the Canadian government denied his application for asylum and that they were responsible for the tragedy.
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Wikipedia