Finnish media mistakenly reported that Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell attended a Nordic ministers' meeting in Helsinki, discussing asylum policies. However, Forssell was not present; his state secretary represented him. The error was later corrected by Finnish outlets.
Finnish Media's Blunder: Mistaken Identity of Swedish Minister
Finnish Media's Blunder: Mistaken Identity of Swedish Minister
"Johan Forssell" was reported to have discussed migration and appeared in photos in Helsinki, according to Finnish media. The problem? The Migration Minister was never there.
Several Finnish media outlets, including Yle and Iltalehti, reported on the meeting of several Nordic ministers in Helsinki, which began on Tuesday.
The agenda included asylum reception and issues such as repatriation, the EU's migration pact, and voluntary return to Ukraine.
Yle noted that all countries have tightened their asylum policies.
In Denmark, the aim is to accept no asylum seekers at all.
- That is still our goal, said Danish Migration Minister Rasmus Stoklund, according to Yle.
Published Photos
His Swedish counterpart Johan Forssell (M) was also reported to have participated, highlighting that Swedish reception is down to 1995 levels.
"Johan Forssell" was also seen in a photo from the major Finnish news agency Lehtikuva alongside Nordic colleagues.
The catch was that the Migration Minister did not attend the meeting. Instead, his state secretary Anders Hall was present.
The day after publication, Finnish media noticed the error and corrected their reports.