Canada denies turning away Aylan Kurdi's family

Canada on Thursday denied it had received an asylum request from the family of Aylan Kurdi, the Syrian refugee child who has become a symbol of Europe's migrant crisis after his little body washed up on a Turkish beach.

Relatives said the Canadian immigration department rejected their application in June, forcing them to leave Turkey on a smugglers’ boat that sank, drowning three-year-old Aylan with his mother, brother and at least nine other refugees.

But the Kurdi family’s story was denied by the immigration ministry - and by the boy's aunt, the source of the media report, who has since clarified her comments.

"There was no record of an application received for Mr. Abdullah Kurdi (the toddler's father) and his family," said a ministry statement. It said an application had been received for Abdullah's brother Mohammed, but "was returned as it was incomplete".

"Canada did not offer citizenship to Mr. Abdullah Kurdi," which was also reported, the ministry said.