LONDON, July 22 (World Daily Times) — Finnish lawmaker Päivi Räsänen said UK authorities revoked her approved Electronic Travel Authorization, blocking a planned August trip to Northern Ireland where she was due to speak on religious freedom.
Räsänen, a member of Finland’s parliament and a former interior minister, said the cancellation came without explanation. She said she had been scheduled to address the Bangor Worldwide Missionary Convention and an Assembly event titled “Faith, Freedom and the Future.”
She linked the decision to her March conviction by Finland’s Supreme Court over a 2004 booklet, “Male and Female He Created Them,” which she said expressed biblical views on marriage and sexuality. In a statement quoted by Fox News, Räsänen said the court convicted her by a 3-2 majority.
Räsänen has said she plans to challenge the case before the European Court of Human Rights. Standing for Freedom reported that she said she has traveled to the United Kingdom before in her parliamentary and ministerial roles and hoped to return for future legislative work.
The UK’s ETA requirement for most visitors took effect in April 2025, according to Yle. The reports did not identify the specific authority behind the cancellation or give an official reason for the decision.
