Youssef Asad Alkhatib was named Finland's Refugee of the Year 2026 in Helsinki on 16 June 2026. Photo: Antti Aimo-Koivisto / Lehtikuva
Domestic
The Finnish Refugee Council has named Syrian-born actor Youssef Asad Alkhatib as Refugee of the Year 2026, recognising his journey from fleeing war as a teenager to building a career on the Finnish stage.
The announcement was made in Helsinki on Tuesday, ahead of World Refugee Day, with the organisation citing Alkhatib’s contribution to Finnish society and his work promoting dialogue between communities.
At 26, Alkhatib lives in Helsinki and is preparing to graduate from the Theatre Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki. He arrived in Finland in 2017 as an unaccompanied minor through the United Nations resettlement programme after spending more than a year travelling from Syria through Turkey and Greece.
