The Mare Nostrum operation was established
by the Italian
government after the two shipwrecks of October
(3rd and 11th) 2013 in which more than 600 people lost their lives in the Mediterranean Sea. The operation, financed only by
the Italian government and not implemented
in other European missions/operations in the Mediterranean
Sea, like Frontex
or others, started
on the 18th of October 2013.
The objectives of the Mare Nostrum operation are, on the one hand, to control the movement of migrants coming towards Europe by
sea and to
stop illegal migration by detaining
traffickers (thus the operation is
a reinforcement of the Constant Vigilance mission, created in 2004
and operated by
the Italian Navy with one
ship and some airplanes, controlling the Straits of Sicily). On the other hand, according to the Italian government’s statement, Mare Nostrum is a mission
to stop the state of emergency
in the Central Mediterranean and, at the same time, wants to be a humanitarian mission against traffickers and terrorists –a somehow difficult intention. Mare Nostrum is rescuing lives, but at the same time
it is a military
operation to protect the Italian sea frontiers. This operation involves five Navy vessels, two helicopters, two airplanes, radar systems
and 920 marines.
