The college scam that promised students fleeing war a new life in Finland

Here is the latest breaking news from around the world: The college scam that promised students fleeing war a new life in Finland12 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleAye Sandar Aung , BurmeseandKelly NgGetty ImagesFinnish authorities are investigating an agency which had offered to help some 350 Burmese students enrol in vocational schools across FinlandWhen *Ma Naw Phaw was given the chance to go to a vocational school in Finland, she took it immediately. "It didn't matter what I studied," the 19-year-old says. "I just knew I needed a degree to find a good job and earn a decent salary to support my family.

"She had been living as a refugee in Mae Sot, a Thai border town, after fleeing the devastating war in Myanmar. Ma Naw Phaw had just started secondary school when Myanmar's military overthrew the democratically elected government in February 2021. It crippled education as thousands of teachers left their roles, and students like Ma Naw Phaw refused to enrol in junta-controlled schools.

The Details

In Mae Sot, she joined a high school set up for refugees, and that's where she heard about an agency offering students the opportunity to study in Finland. She decided to enroll in Finnish classes as she prepared for a new life on the other side of the world. But that dream shattered in April, along with the future she had thought was in her grasp.

Inside Myanmar, rebels are losing ground as military forces men into armyMyanmar's army is taking back territory with relentless air strikes - and China's helpShe had paid about 10,000 euros ($11,500; £8,600) to an agency called Brighter Future Way (BFW), which was operating in Mae Sot. The money was supposed to pay for Finnish language classes in Mae Sot, the application for the vocational school, where she was going to study nursing, and a residence permit to live in Finland. It was a huge sum for her family and it took them nearly a year to raise it, she says, but they were glad to do it for an opportunity that promised to turn the tide.

But then Finland rejected Ma Naw Phaw's request for a residence permit, which BFW had told her she could easily secure. She wanted a refund but she could not reach the agency. Weeks later, she learnt that the founder, Min Min Soe Shwe, had been arrested in Finland.

BFW co-founder Phitak Pakay, who is based in Thailand, told the the company has "lost contact" with Min Min Soe Shwe and that it will soon cease operations as "there are no students left in the dormitory". Finland's Border Guard has also announced a "large-scale investigation" into an education agency which had offered to help some 350 Burmese students enrol in vocational schools across Finland, between 2022 and 2025. "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," it said in a statement, noting that some of the victims have been left in debt.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.