At its spring meeting on 23 April 2026, Finnish Refugee Council (FRC) elected Nils Torvalds as the new Chair of the Board. The term of office is two years.
Torvalds brings extensive and diverse experience in international relations, political decision-making, cooperation, and journalism. He served as a Member of the European Parliament from 2012 to 2024 and as Vice Chair of the Swedish People’s Party of Finland from 2008 to 2011. In addition, Torvalds had a 25-year career at the Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle, where he worked for Svenska Yle and served as a correspondent in both Moscow and Washington, D.C.
“Nils Torvalds’ broad experience in national and international politics and societal affairs brings significant added value to FRC, along with strong networks and a multi-layered perspective on issues related to forced displacement and integration. We believe that the experience and expertise of our new Chair will support the strategic development of our expert organisation, both internationally and domestically, especially at a time when our operating environment is undergoing rapid change,” says Annu Lehtinen, Executive Director of FRC.
The new Chair of the Board has accepted the position with great commitment and emphasizes the importance of solution-oriented approaches to forced displacement both in Finnish society and globally: “This role as Chair is particularly meaningful at this moment in history, as FRC works at the heart of one of the defining issues of our time: forced displacement. We are living in a period where growing geopolitical tensions are increasing the complexity of our work and eroding the foundations of international cooperation. For this reason, commitment to shared principles cannot be taken for granted — it must be demonstrated through concrete actions.”
Torvalds stresses that protection of refugees and integration must be viewed as a comprehensive whole: “The situation and protection of refugees and people affected by forced displacement must be approached both as a humanitarian and a societal issue. We must uphold the immediate protection of civilians and people fleeing wars and conflicts. At the same time, we must invest in ensuring the best possible integration outcomes.”
FRC also extends its warmest thanks to the outgoing Chair of the Board, Liisa Jaakonsaari, for six years of dedicated and invaluable work in advancing the organisation’s mission and supporting refugees in building new beginnings.