Heartwrenching photos of a toddler’s tiny lifeless body washed ashore and lying face down in the surf on a Turkish tourist beach drew the international spotlight. The viral image put a face on the stories of tens of thousands of desperate refugees fleeing their war-torn countries for a new life in Europe.

According to international media reports, the victims’ aunt, who lives in Canada, had extended an invitation to the family of the toddlers to emigrate to the North American country, yet Turkish authorities refused to issue an exit visa!

The todder, identified as three-year-old Aylan Kurdi was just one of 12 Syrians believed to have died when their boats sank while trying to reach Greece. The bleak image of the little boy with the red T-shirt and blue shorts went viral, carrying the hashtag #KiyiyaVuranInsanlik (“Humanity washed ashore”).

The dead boy is beleived to have fled with his family from the Kurdish-Syrian city of Kobane. Further down the beach lied a second body – that of his 5-year-old brother, Galip.

Turkish coast guards say two boats sank in separate incidents after leaving the Bodrum peninusla for the island of Kos on Wednesday. The dead included five children and a woman. Another 15 were rescued.

The images made the front pages and set fire to social media. Once again, the human cost of the refugee crisis came to the fore.