Point.51, Issue 1

Point.51 is a new independent print magazine of long-form reportage and documentary photography exploring essential contemporary issues in Europe  – one at a time.

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the concept of a united Europe has been tied to ideals of prosperity, stability, openness and tolerance – a model of inclusivity in a divided world. But the advent of the current “refugee crisis”, combined with the effects of ongoing economic austerity, has triggered a new era of nationalism and self-interest.

Today, those fleeing conflict and oppression are welcomed with open arms by some Europeans, while being shunned or demonised by others.  Unity and openness are challenged by suspicion and fear – and a return to walls, wire and the infrastructure of hard borders.

In issue one, we travel from Serbia to the French-Italian border, to the North of England and the often-maligned French city of Calais exploring the journey undertaken by asylum seekers in search of sanctuary and the ordinary citizens living in the towns and communities caught up in the largest mass movement of people across Europe since World War II.