UK Send Navy Ship To Tackle Gangs Trafficking Thousands Migrants

The latest figures reveal that more than 125,000 migrants and refugees have arrived in Europe so far this year. It is estimated around 2,000 are crossing into Greece each day.

The NATO mission is not mandated to turn migrants back but is, under international law, obliged to rescue any migrant vessels in distress.

Although the UK has announced it is sending a Royal Navy ship to help patrol the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey to help tackle the people-smuggling gangs trafficking thousands of migrants into Europe.

"There are thousands attempting this crossing now. The Turkish and indeed the Greek authorities are getting overwhelmed and I think it is right that NATO should bring its ships to come to help to try and save lives where they can," Mr Fallon said.

Crucially, the NATO ships will be instructed to send migrants back to Turkey and not take them onwards to Greece.

This, leaders hope, will prevent the presence of the NATO ships acting as a magnet; migrants will not be encouraged to take the journey in the belief that a NATO ship will rescue them and take them to Europe.

"People will go on attempting this very dangerous sea crossing if they don't believe they are going to be sent back again and that is what the Prime Minister will be pressing our European partners to get agreed in Brussels today," Mr Fallon said.

NATO has yet to explain how a maritime mission can successfully counter trafficking gangs who rarely take to the waters, choosing instead to stay in Turkey and offer migrants discounts if they pilot the boats.

The EU meeting, which includes the Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is yet another, convened to find solutions to the growing emergency.

It is understood that all 28 EU leaders will agree that member states must use "all available means" to stem the flow of people into the EU, but it's not yet clear quite what that means.