Belgium: NATO deploys warships to stem 'illegal migration in the Aegean'

NATO will deploy warships in the Aegean Sea with immediate effect to counteract "illegal migration," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced at a press conference at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on Thursday.
"The goal is to participate in the international efforts to stem the illegal trafficking and illegal migration in the Aegean," he said.
To implement the plan, NATO's standing Maritime Group Two has been deployed in the region under German command. "It will be tasked to conduct reconnaissance, monitoring and surveillance of the illegal crossings in the Aegean Sea," Stoltenberg explained.
The NATO chief stressed that the plan "is not about stopping or pushing back refugee boats," stating that "NATO will contribute critical information and surveillance to help counter human trafficking and criminal networks."