Fences, barbed wire and armed border guards have suddenly become the new standard in Europe.

In the early summer of 2015, I set out to document the physical manifestations of something I thought belonged to the past—these “new” European borders. The effects of these tighter restrictions on both Europe and the people who try to cross every day—men, women and children—is staggering.

I hope these images will convey the devastating scale of these changes—especially their impact on the migrants and refugees. This project was photographed with a custom-made drone, built for still images.

—Rasmus Degnbol

Editors’ note: Degnbol’s project was recognized by the jury of the LensCulture Exposure Awards 2017—don’t miss the work from all 44 of the outstanding, international talents!

Degnbol is also a member of the LensCulture Network, a recent initiative we launched with the idea of offering talented, accomplished photographers a place to showcase their work on a global stage while also giving them a place to share, learn and engage with one another. The LensCulture Network began with a small number of hand-picked members, and we are very excited to watch it grow and evolve.

If you’re interested in seeing more work on this and similar topics, we’d recommend the following articles: Refugee Odyssey to Europe, a series on the conflicting emotions (joy, desolation, hope) felt by refugees throughout their journeys; Mediterranean Migration, a project shot on board a migrant rescue boat; and Lingering Ghosts, Sam Ivin’s direct, emotional portraits of refugees caught in limbo in the UK.