Thomas Nilsen

Here comes the sun

Today, the sun was finally shining again over the frozen landscape in -30°C after being away from Finnmark since late November last year.
January 22, 2016

“We had to help them”

Merete Eriksson and Eirik Nilsen were arrested by police for helping asylum seekers leave the camp before a planned deportation to Russia.
January 21, 2016

Border citizens with warm support to migrants in freezing cold

They got a glimpse of hope by watching the support demonstration outside the camp near Kirkenes Wednesday evening. Warm support from the locals is however not enough; return to Russia will be carried out.
January 20, 2016

Facebook and green energy key to economic boom

This northern Swedish town has totally changed. People and new businesses are moving in, new restaurants open, house prices jump and Matz Engman, CEO of Luleå Business & Economic Development, says this is just the beginning.
January 20, 2016

Kirkenes-Rune asks Prime Minister to treat refugees with respect

Mayor of Kirkenes says Norway must not violate international laws in its eagerness to send out people that are in desperate situation.
January 19, 2016

Bus with returned asylum seekers on the road towards Murmansk

January 19, 2016

Sharp increase in Barents Sea petroleum shipments

Russia ships out more oil than ever through its Arctic ports. Total transport was up 92 percent last year.
January 19, 2016

Migrants on return to Russia can get $100 in travel support

The travel cash is enough to cover one-way ticket from Murmansk to Moscow.
January 18, 2016

Man found dead on Arctic migrant route after waiting in a car for five days in temperatures below minus 30

The 33-years old might have frozen to death near the checkpoint where he had been waiting for five days to get to the Finnish border.
January 18, 2016

Selfie from Pechenga said to affirm Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine

Blog post with extensive pictures investigation claims 200th Independent Motorized Infantry Brigade took part in Eastern Ukraine war.
January 17, 2016

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Thomas Nilsen is editor of the Independent Barents Observer with its news desk located in Kirkenes, northern Norway. He has a long experience in media cooperation across the borders in the high north of Europe, both as radio- and newspaper reporter all the way back to the days before the breakup of the Soviet Union. 

Nilsen has been editor of Barents Observer since 2009.

He was Deputy Head of the Norwegian Barents Secretariat from 2004-2009. Until 2003, he worked 12 years for the Bellona Foundation’s Russian study group, focusing on nuclear safety issues and general environmental challenges in northern areas and the Arctic. 

Thomas has been traveling extensively across northern Scandinavia and Arctic Russia since the late 80’s working for different media and organizations. He is also a guide at sea and in remote locations in the Russian north for various groups and regularly lectures on security issues, environmental and socio-economic development.

Thomas Nilsen studied at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Mobile: +47-90573143

thomas@thebarentsobserver.com
@nilsen.thomas