Argentina accepts more Syrian asylum seekers

Argentina has announced willingness to accept more Syrian asylum seekers escaping the violence in the war-torn country.

In a press briefing on Friday, Aníbal Fernández, the chief of the cabinet of ministers of Argentina, hailed his country’s tradition of “facilitating the entry of foreign citizens in tragic situations like war” and highlighted a plan adopted a year ago by the administration of President Cristina Kirchner that makes “the entry of Syrian citizens easier,” English-language newspaper Buenos Aires Herald reported.

Fernández also expressed his great sorrow over the “terrible” death of a three-year-old Syrian boy, identified as Aylan Kurdi.

Kurdi, who was found dead on a beach near Turkish resort of Bodrum on Thursday, was among 13 ill-fated Syrian asylum seekers — including his mother and his five-year-old brother — whose boats capsized off the Turkish coast. They were attempting to cross to the Greek island of Kos from the Turkish coast. The images of this horrible incident went viral on the Internet and shocked the world.

Argentina’s Labor Minister Carlos Tomada also said that Syrian people who had relatives in Argentina would have an “easier access.”

According to Argentina’s office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, less than 100 Syrian asylum seekers have so far entered the South American country.