UPDATE 3-Canadian government under fire in case of drowned Syrian toddler

(Adds statement from Canada's Department of Citizenship and
Immigration in fourth paragraph)
By Julie Gordon
VANCOUVER, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Canada's Conservative
government came under fire on Thursday after reports 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 tiny body of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi face
down in the sand at the Aegean resort of Bodrum swept social
media on Wednesday and appeared prominently on front pages on
Thursday, spawning sympathy and outrage at the perceived
inaction of developed nations in helping refugees.
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The boy's aunt, Vancouver resident Tima Kurdi, said she had
hoped to bring her brother - the father of Aylan - and his
family to Canada, but had first tried to sponsor another
brother, currently in Germany, an application that was rejected.
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Canada's Department of Citizenship and Immigration said the
application of the first brother had been returned because it
was "incomplete" and that there was no record of an application
from Aylan's family.
Fighting tears, New Democratic leader Thomas Mulcair, whose
party has been leading in polls ahead of the Oct. 19 election,
said one of his members of parliament had been trying to help
the boy's family.
"It's just unbearable that we're doing nothing. Canada has
an obligation to act," Mulcair said, choking up while speaking
during a campaign stop in Toronto.
Liberal leader Justin Trudeau said Canada must immediately
accept 25,000 Syrian refugees.
Conservative Immigration Minister Chris Alexander abandoned
his own campaign and returned to Ottawa to focus on the refugee
crisis. He said he was meeting with officials to get an update
on the family's case and broader migrant crisis.
Harper said he and his wife, Laureen, had seen the photos of
the drowned boy and thought of their own son at that age.
"If we look at the millions of people who are in danger, the
tens of thousands who are dying, we could drive ourselves crazy
with grief. Obviously we do what we can do to help," Harper told
reporters.
"Refugee policy alone is not remotely a solution," he said,
pointing to Canada's participation in the military campaign
against militant group Islamic State.
Harper's overhaul of the country's immigration system has
been criticized by refugee advocates.
Canada has set it would accept 23,000 Iraqi refugees and
11,300 Syrians, but has been criticized for only resettling
2,300 Syrians to date. Alexander said the government will accept
10,000 more persecuted minorities from the region.