NATO Ships in Aegean to Help EU Stem People Smuggling
Date
2/12/2016 4:55:33 AM
(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) NATODefence Ministers have agreed that the Alliance will take part in the international efforts to stem the illegal trafficking and illegal migration acrosstheAegeanSea Secretary General JensStoltenbergsaid on Thursday.
NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 which is currently deployed in the region under German command “will be tasked to conductreconnaissance monitoring andsurveillanceof the illegal crossings in theAegeanSea in cooperation with relevant authorities”Stoltenbergsaid.
The objective of the maritime mission is not to stop or push back refugee boats but to contribute “critical information andsurveillanceto help counter human trafficking and criminal networks […] in cooperation with national coastguards and working closely with the European Union”Stoltenbergsaid at a news conference in Bruussels after a two-day meeting of defence ministers fromNATOmember states.
It will also establish a direct link with the EU’s border management agency Frontex.
AFP news agency quoted German government sources as saying on Thursday thatTurkeyGreeceandGermanywantedNATOto beginsurveillanceof theAegeanSea to provide "a clear view" of how people smugglers are operating along the Turkish coast.
Turkeyhas taken in more than 2.5 million Syrianrefugees and is a major transit point formigrantsfrom Asia and Africa streaming into Europe. Over a millionmigrantsandrefugeesreached Europe last year many making the perilous journey by boat fromTurkeyacross theAegeanSea to Greece.
NATOministers also “agreed in principle to useNATOAWACSsurveillanceplanes to backfill national AWACS capabilities” in the fight of the international coalition against the Islamic State groupStoltenbergsaid.
The decision will increase the coalition’s ability to “degrade and destroy the terrorist group ISIL which is our common enemy” he added using another name for the organization of Islamic militants that controls parts of Iraq and Syria.
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