Operation Mare Nostrum was a year-long naval and air operation commenced by the Italian government on 18 October 2013, which brought at least 150,000 migrants to Europe, mainly from Africa and the Middle East. The operation ended on 31 October 2014 and was superseded by Frontex's Operation Triton.

Where does the name Mare Nostrum come from?

Mare Nostrum (Latin for “Our Sea”) was a common Roman name for the Mediterranean Sea. The term was always somewhat ambiguous: it both implied Roman dominance of the Mediterranean and the cultural diversity of the nations that have bordered it for well over two millennia.

Why did the Romans use Mare Nostrum?

Use of the term in Roman times

The term mare nostrum was used in the first place by Romans to refer to the Tyrrhenian Sea. ... So they started to use the name mare nostrum for the whole Mediterranean Sea. They used other names as well, such as Mare Internum ("The Internal Sea").