On the evening of June 23, 2016, Prime Minister David Cameron and his inner circle gathered at 10 Downing Street to witness a turning point in British history. Nearly 52% of the people of the U.K. voted to leave the European Union, a decision that effectively ended Cameron’s political career and left the world wondering what happens next. This is the inside account of Brexit, from the British conservatives demanding a referendum to the team of European presidents and prime ministers scrambling to prevent the E.U. from being torn apart.

April 2015. A boat overcrowded with men, women, and children fleeing Africa sinks near Italy, killing over 800 people. The tragedy is the flashpoint of a long-running problem. The number of migrants and asylum seekers coming to European shores had been growing, and the figures were about to skyrocket, fueled by the civil war in Syria. This is the inside story of Europe’s migration explosion and its impact across the globe, told by presidents, prime ministers, and other leaders of the continent working behind the scenes to solve the crisis.