Tynkkynen said he was preparing to leave Brussels for the airport on Wednesday when a message arrived in his work email account informing him of the decision, News.Az reports, citing Helsinki Times.
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The Finns Party politician told Yle that British authorities said his presence in the country would not serve the public interest. The message also stated that he had no right to appeal against the decision.
Tynkkynen had planned to attend an event beginning in London on Thursday. He described the refusal as incomprehensible and said the decision conflicted with the principles of an open Western democracy.
“I was just banned from entering the UK. Elected politician. Defender of girls and women. Unbelievable,” he wrote on X.
According to Helsingin Sanomat, Tynkkynen disclosed three convictions for agitation against a minority group when he submitted his Electronic Travel Authorisation application.
The United Kingdom requires Finnish citizens and other visa-exempt visitors to obtain an ETA before travelling. The requirement has applied to Finnish travellers since April 2025.
The application process asks travellers to provide details of criminal convictions. Tynkkynen said he supplied the requested information and later received a refusal stating that his presence would not serve the public interest.
He told HS that he did not know whether the decision would prevent him from entering Britain in future. The refusal contained no clear route for review.
Tynkkynen’s case follows a similar decision involving Finnish Christian Democrat MP Päivi Räsänen, whose British travel authorisation was withdrawn after receiving initial approval.
Räsänen previously told Ilta-Sanomat that she had disclosed a criminal conviction imposed by Finland’s Supreme Court. The conviction involved agitation against a minority group and resulted in a fine of 20 day-fines.
She has now said the refusal threatens a planned visit to Northern Ireland in August.
Räsänen told IS now that the speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly had invited her to visit the parliament and speak at an event concerning freedom of expression. She said the travel refusal placed the visit in doubt and described the situation as unreasonable.
“It is shocking,” Räsänen told the newspaper. “This was a minor fine, 20 day-fines. I also regard the judgment as wrong and unfair.”
Räsänen said she was examining whether to submit a visa application after the refusal of her ETA. She said she had spoken to a British lawyer but believed a visa application would face the same assessment.
She also said the visa process involved added costs, travel to an office and the submission of fingerprints and other personal information.
Räsänen said British officials should reconsider the decision.
