Europe
How Europe’s Hinterlands Became Its Front Line
Journalist Hannah Lucinda Smith joins Faisal Al Yafai on the podcast to discuss the conflict already gripping Europe's margins and her new book, “Hinterlands: Journeys Through Europe’s Unfinished Frontiers.”
An Open Wound
At least 11,000 people across six European Union countries were subjected to compulsory sterilization between 1972 and 2025 as a prerequisite for legal gender recognition, an investigation by New Lines and Investigate Europe reveals.
The Syrians in European Limbo
The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime brought euphoria to millions of Syrians in exile, but also created political and legal uncertainty. As some European states suspend asylum claims or discuss revoking refugee status, activists are campaigning for temporary return permits that would allow Syrians to reconnect without losing protection.
The Farther East One Goes in Europe, the More ‘West’ One Winds Up
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has led to many unintended consequences, but none so quick and profound as the consolidation of the Nordic and Baltic regions under the NATO umbrella following Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to the alliance in the past two years.
How AI Became the Far Right’s Newest Weapon Against Refugees
Across Europe, far-right parties are weaponizing generative AI to produce hyperbolic, Islamophobic and anti-refugee visuals that spread rapidly on social media, amplifying disinformation and fueling hostility.
How Central Europe Became the Frontier Between Russia and the West
Historian Luka Ivan Jukić joins New Lines’ Faisal Al Yafai on the podcast to discuss his new book, “Central Europe: The Death of a Civilization and the Life of an Idea.”
The Democratic Exclusion Dilemma
As extremist parties like Germany’s AfD and France’s National Rally edge closer to power across Europe, states are weighing bans and disqualifications. But excluding some political actors runs the risk of eroding democracy itself.