The Migration Machine

As a million migrants and refugees entered Europe in 2015, states feared the situation was spinning out of control. Some worried that violent extremists were using refugee crowds as cover and put up hundreds of miles of anti-immigrant fencing. (Full story)

For months, the fences did nothing to reduce total arrivals. Instead, they changed the routes people took, forcing them to try new borders which were in turn fenced off.

Now, Europe is trying to send new arrivals back to Turkey. And since the last barrier closed on a route through Greece, migrants and refugees are looking for other ways in.

The barriers are not just dividing countries. They are also splitting societies, Europe’s political leaders, and, critics say, its stated humanitarian ideals.