Thomas Nilsen

NATO and Finland discuss military cooperation in Lapland

Helsinki beefs up defence budget by 9 percent next year, even though Finland is facing hard economic times.
December 05, 2015

Migrants via Russia discover new Arctic Route to Europe

Gateway via Norway's Storskog seems closed, but a record number of 31 asylum seekers came to Raja-Jooseppi in Finnish Lapland on Thursday.
December 04, 2015

All time low for democratic changeovers

Only 45 percent of Russians in a survey support regular rotation of leaders through elections.
December 04, 2015

Area from Svalbard to Taimyr unusually warm

Core area for Norwegian-Russian polar bear habitat was 6 to 8 degrees Celsius above average in November.
December 03, 2015

Nikel-pollution in first talks after political freeze

“Environment and mapping of radioactive contamination are core areas for cooperation with Russia, despite changing political circumstances,” says State Secretary Lars Andreas Lunde in Norway’s Ministry of Climate and Environment after a 2-days visit to Moscow.
December 03, 2015

Second day without migrants

End of story? Arctic Route for refugees to Europe seems closed.
December 01, 2015

Norway and Sweden team up for cross-border emergency radio network

Nationwide emergency communication network opened by Minister of Justice, Anders Anundsen, in Kirkenes.
December 01, 2015

“Gepard” sails Barents Sea again

Nuclear powered attach submarine on voyage after two years of repair.
December 01, 2015

Zero asylum seekers at Storskog after Norway places police on borderline

"Persons without a valid visa will not be allowed to enter Norway," says State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Public Security Jøran Kallmyr.
November 30, 2015

Russia refuses to take back migrants

Attorney of Syrian family that Norway tried to expel last Friday says it is unlawful not to have their asylum merits hearing before being returned.
November 30, 2015

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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