Foreign Students Misled by Recruitment Agents, Ending Up in Poverty
A recent study conducted by the MOT of the University of Yle has found disturbing activities by a couple of education agents who are hiring international students to study in Finland. These agents have been selling a far-fetched image of life in Finland, which is often termed as the happiest country in the world, but that is not the truth, and this has resulted in many students ending up in financial crisis and marginalisation once they are in Finland.
False Expectations and Misleading Promises
The study revealed that some of the third-party agents in countries including India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka are giving distorted information to potential students concerning studying and living in Finland. In collaboration with local journalists as well as undercover assistants, MOT reported cases of how agents promise applicants that they could easily get part-time jobs, they would not require large amounts of personal money to live, and they would be comfortable taking care of themselves in their studies, even without having to know Finnish.
But the truth of the matter is also very grim; Finland is recording a lot of unemployment and it is difficult to find employment, especially when one does not know the local language. It is also the requirement of Finnish regulations that students must prove that they have enough finances to sustain themselves. Therefore, most students come to the actual reality of life without being ready to meet the cost of living and cannot afford to survive.
Consequences for Students
The harsh effects of this misinformation are explained by many testimonies collected by MOT. A Nepalese student has said that she borrowed much money at the expense of her family only to discover that it was very difficult to find a part-time job; she is currently reeling in debt and is facing the threat of being denied her work permit should she fail to cover her tuition fee on time. Other students reported on relying on social benefits, food handouts or informal jobs to make a living – hardly the affluent existence they were sold.
Certain students also highlighted the fact that they were extremely weak, such as being exploited and forced into taking of precarious circumstances so as to find accommodation. When a church official observed that the number of foreign students taking food aid at local charity organizations had increased significantly, he/she attributed this to an emerging phenomenon of poor underclass among international students in Finland.
Institutional Reactions and Regulatory Context
Finland’s universities and universities of applied sciences in Finland enjoy economic advantages associated with bringing non-EU students to the country with their own money. Agents play the role of mediators whereby they aid institutions to recruit applicants. Nonetheless, officials of a number of universities in Finland admitted to MOT that certain agents have been giving false, baseless information that do not correspond to partnering standards. Universities are currently considering such relationships and looking at terminating contracts with agents who have been proven guilty of misleading practices.
This has been worsened by the new developments in the immigration and education policies of Finland that eased entry of non-EU students and their families into the country to acquire long-term residence. Although these reforms are aimed at attracting international students, they have also created an unwanted impact of placing pressure on students who come with unrealistic expectations and without a strong network of support.
Calls for Reform
Student welfare advocates and clergy have criticized Finnish education to stop using third party recruitment agents altogether because ethical recruitment must focus on being transparent and provide accurate information. The tightening of agent practices is becoming more of a demand to safeguard students against exploitation as well as to ensure that the students who are seeking to study abroad make informed decisions based on the realistic expectations.
