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.