A line in front of the UK Border Force checkpoint at Gatwick Airport on May 28, 2014 in London. (Oli Scarff / Getty Images)
By Michael Austin July 28, 2026 at 6:00am
Päivi Räsänen, the member of the Finnish Parliament who has faced legal troubles after endorsing Christian views on sexual ethics, revealed that she has been barred from entering the United Kingdom.
Räsänen planned to travel to Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, in August to speak at a conference and visit lawmakers. She had received an electronic travel authorization to enter the country, but the permission was later revoked.
The Christian Post reported that Räsänen never received an explanation for why her permission to enter appears to have been canceled.
Räsänen has had to adjust other travel plans in reaction to the canceled permission.
She was supposed to fly through Heathrow Airport after a recent trip to a conference in California, but she had to change her plans and fly through Dallas instead.
Earlier this year, the Finnish Supreme Court found her guilty of “hate speech” because of a pamphlet called “As Man and Woman He Created Them,” which she had written in 2004 to articulate biblical views on marriage and family, according to a webpage from Alliance Defending Freedom International.
NEWS ALERT🚨Finnish Parliament Member Päivi Räsänen says she has been banned from traveling to the UK after the British government revoked her electronic travel authorization (ETA), after first approving it.
“Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of democracy. … the conviction… pic.twitter.com/1BRGhHrueT
— CBN News (@CBNNews) July 16, 2026
Räsänen has also faced legal troubles for posting a screenshot of Romans 1:24-27 — a passage which condemns homosexuality — on social media in 2019.
“The Supreme Court’s closely divided ruling has had unexpected consequences,” Räsänen said of her canceled permission to enter the United Kingdom, per The Christian Post.
“In addition to restricting freedom of expression, it has also created restrictions and difficulties related to travel and participation in meetings and conferences,” she continued.
“My greatest concern is that this decision has left many people with uncertainty, confusion and fear about the consequences of exercising their freedom of speech and religion in a peaceful manner, and about where the line lies between lawful and prohibited speech.”
Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola — who was charged with “hate speech” alongside Räsänen for publishing the pamphlet — has also been denied entrance to the United Kingdom.
Pohjola said he received a notification saying, “We are satisfied that you have been convicted of a criminal offense in the U.K. or overseas within the last 12 months.”
“This not only causes practical difficulties to serve as bishop in my church body and as chairman of the International Lutheran Council, but it also labels me as a criminal whom many countries want to prevent from entering,” Pohjola said.
ADF International said that for Räsänen — a 66-year-old grandmother who has served in the Finnish Parliament since 1995 — the process is the punishment.
“In the view of the prosecution, Päivi’s beliefs, rooted in the Bible and Christianity, are hateful and criminal,” the legal advocacy group said.
“The prosecution has shown a clear determination to make an example out of her — to intimidate not only Päivi but every Finn and every person who dares to peacefully speak what they believe.”
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Michael wrote for several entertainment news outlets before joining The Western Journal in 2020. He now serves as Managing Editor, which involves managing the editorial team and operations, guiding the publication’s editorial direction, and writing, editing, curating and assigning stories as needed.
Birthplace
Ames, Iowa
Nationality
American
Education
Iowa State University
Topics of Expertise
Cultural Politics, Pop Culture, Christian-Conservatism
