Britain denied entry to a Finnish MEP for inciting hatred

Sebastian Tynkkänen, a Member of the European Parliament from Finland, reported that British authorities had denied him an entry permit. The politician had been tried in Finland for inciting hatred against minority groups.

An email notifying him of the denial was sent to his work address while the politician, a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, was on his way to the airport in Brussels. 

The decision, which is final and cannot be appealed, stated that the MEP’s presence in the United Kingdom “is not in the public interest.”

This is the second such case in recent times—earlier, British authorities denied entry to Päivi Räsänen, a member of the Finnish Parliament from the Christian Democrats. Both politicians had previously been convicted in Finland of inciting hatred against minority groups. It is worth noting that the refusals are linked to new entry rules for the United Kingdom, introduced in April 2025, under which foreign visitors must apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) in advance.

Source: Yle.

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has faced criticism from the opposition and the media over the decision to provide state support for the Helsinki Garden project—a multifunctional sports and concert arena in Helsinki.

As a reminder, the Russian government decided to suspend traffic through a number of railway border crossings with Finland, Estonia, and Latvia starting July 1.