The Anatomy of a National Crisis: The Canadian Federal Government’s Response to the 2015 Kurdi Refugee Case

Abstract

Background A photograph of Alan Kurdi, a Syrian boy found dead on a Turkish beach, sparked a major Canadian political crisis. During a federal election campaign, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Chris Alexander responded quickly to the incorrect implication that the government’s immigration policies caused the boy’s death. Analysis This article analyzes the appropriateness of Harper’s and Alexander’s response strategies during the hours right after the crisis broke. Conclusion and implications This article argues that the politicians faced an unusual challenge because, although the government’s policies had not actually caused the crisis, government leaders had to respond as if they had. Harper and Alexander mostly followed best practices but shifted the blame to the greater refugee crisis, which came across as disingenuous.