NATO steps in to support migrant crisis

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO secretary general, has announced that NATO vessels have been deployed to the Aegean sea to prevent people-smugglers transporting migrants from Turkey to Greece.

The move follows a request from Turkey, Germany and Greece at a defence ministers’ meeting in Brussels. Stoltenberg maintained the the mission did not aim to ‘stop or push back refugee boats’ but to contribute ‘critical information and surveillance to help counter human trafficking’.

Stoltenberg added that the decision was made to help Turkey and Greece ‘manage a human tragedy in a better way than we have managed to do so far’.

The operation will be led by NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2, under German command and in co-operation with Greek and Turkish coastguards. According to the UK refugee agency, almost 75,000 migrants have already arrived in Greece via sea vessels since the start of the year.