Finnish authorities are investigating an alleged student recruitment scam after hundreds of young Myanmar nationals were charged thousands of euros for promised study opportunities in Finland.
According to BBC Burmese and BBC News, around 350 students were recruited through an agency that offered Finnish language training, vocational school placements and assistance with residence permits.
Students paid up to €10,000
Many students reportedly paid around €10,000 in fees, often funded through family savings, loans or the sale of land. Several later saw their residence permit applications rejected and were unable to recover their money.
“It is suspected that at least some of these students have been charged exorbitant amounts of money under the guise of arranging study places, residence permits and language exams,” Finland’s Border Guard said as it announced a large-scale investigation.
The agency’s founder, Min Min Soe Shwe, has reportedly been arrested in Finland.
One student, identified by the BBC as Ma Naw Phaw, said her family spent nearly a year raising the money needed for the programme after she fled Myanmar’s civil war and sought refuge in Thailand.
“I was excited because I’d be going there with my friends,” she told the BBC. But after her residence permit was denied, she says the dream of a new life in Finland collapsed.
New rules to bypass recruitment agents
Finnish investigator Juho Sillanpää told the BBC that some victims may now be at risk of further financial exploitation because of the debts they incurred.
The case highlights the growing demand among young Myanmar citizens for education and migration opportunities abroad after the military coup in 2021 severely disrupted the country’s education system.
New Finnish legislation due to take effect in August will allow international students to apply directly to vocational institutions without going through recruitment agencies.
