Finnish MP Räsänen Receives UK Visa Too Late for Conference Attendance

Finnish MP’s UK Visa Approved Too Late for Conference Attendance

Just minutes before Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen was to speak at a religious freedom conference in Northern Ireland, her UK visa was finally approved. Unfortunately, the timing meant she had to deliver her speech remotely.

Räsänen announced on X that she received notification of her visa approval at 6.45pm on Friday, a mere 45 minutes prior to her scheduled address at 7.30pm. Her case drew attention after she publicly requested intervention from Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

Initially, Räsänen was granted an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) in June, which was later revoked without explanation by the Home Office in July. This led her to apply for a full visa, prompting her to appeal directly to Mahmood for expedited processing.

In a statement last week, Räsänen criticized the UK’s decision, saying, “It is shocking that the UK has blocked me, a democratically elected politician in an allied European state, from entering the country.” She attributed the travel issues to her conviction in Finland over a pamphlet discussing traditional Christian views on marriage and sexuality.

Although her visa approval arrived too late for the event, Räsänen expressed gratitude, stating, “Of course too late for this week’s conference. But now I’m free to travel if the UK area wants to hear about freedom of speech and religion.”

ADF International, which supports Räsänen, noted that her visa application, submitted with event details and flight plans, was expected to take three weeks to process but took over four weeks.

Räsänen, a former interior minister of Finland, was convicted by the Finnish Supreme Court in March, despite earlier acquittals. Alongside Räsänen, Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola and the Luther Foundation Finland also faced convictions related to the same publication, with all parties appealing to the European Court of Human Rights.