Finnish authorities are investigating an education agency that allegedly defrauded hundreds of Myanmar refugees, charging exorbitant fees for false promises of vocational training and residence permits in Finland.
For 19-year-old Ma Naw Phaw, the chance to study in Finland seemed like a lifeline. Fleeing war in Myanmar and living as a refugee in Mae Sot, Thailand, she jumped at the opportunity offered by an agency called Brighter Future Way (BFW). Her family sold two plots of farmland to raise the 10,000 euros ($11,500) required, believing it would secure her education and a better future.
But the dream shattered when Finland rejected her residence permit application. BFW had assured her it would be easy. When she sought a refund, the agency was unreachable. Weeks later, she learned that BFW's founder, Min Min Soe Shwe, had been arrested in Finland.
BFW co-founder Phitak Pakay, based in Thailand, told the BBC the company has "lost contact" with Min Min Soe Shwe and will soon cease operations as "there are no students left in the dormitory."
Finland's Border Guard has launched a "large-scale investigation" into an education agency that helped some 350 Burmese students enroll in vocational schools between 2022 and 2025. Lead investigator Juho Sillanpää stated that at least some students were charged "exorbitant amounts of money under the guise of arranging study places, residence permits and language exams." He noted that victims may end up in debt and vulnerable to further exploitation. The case could amount to "aggravated extortion," he added.
The BBC pieced together accounts from six affected students, a Finnish vocational school, and a BFW co-founder, confirming BFW as the agency under investigation. The BBC has reached out to Min Min Soe Shwe's lawyer and family, but they declined to be interviewed.
According to its website, BFW "specialises in language training and student recruitment services for individuals from Myanmar who are preparing to live, study, or work abroad." The company has offices in Myanmar, Thailand, and Finland.
Agencies like BFW have emerged because non-EU students can enroll in Finnish vocational and higher education institutions through third-party "commissioners." These agencies tailor programs to recruit students.
Ko Myo, 26, who did make it to Finland, says his family knows Min Min Soe Shwe and that he is working in a nursing home after completing his course. He was allowed to defer payments, but other students said that option was not available to them.
EduSavo Oy, a vocational college in Iisalmi, was set to receive its first BFW-commissioned students in the autumn. By May, it had not received tuition payments from BFW and canceled the partnership. CEO Mira Repo told the BBC that BFW was unable to complete payment, and Min Min Soe Shwe was detained.
Finland's education ministry says it is "naturally concerned" about the suspected violations. Communications director Thomas Sund noted that new laws in August will allow international students to apply directly to vocational schools, bypassing intermediaries.
Since the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, countries like the US and UK have tightened visa restrictions on Burmese nationals. Agencies began promoting Finland as an alternative, touting "easy visa approval and free education" and the ability to work while studying.
Ma Naw Phaw had met BFW's founder, who assured her the dream was within reach. But when she attended language classes at BFW's "school" in Mae Sot, she found no teachers. "I kept wondering why we had to pay so much money to teach one another," she said. She wanted to withdraw but was told she would not get her money back.
The six students who spoke to the BBC each paid about 10,000 euros—8,000 for Finnish classes and 2,000 for visa fees. Despite receiving admission offers, five of them never made it to Finland.