Translation:
Sanna Marin's government wanted international students in Finnish universities. Here, students end up in the breadline, penniless. Yle's MOT reveals what went wrong.
– My life has not been what I expected. I expected a better life than in Nepal.
Rikita, who is studying in Helsinki , has big worries and doesn't dare to talk about them to her own face.
Rikita was looking forward to a life in Finland where there would be enough work and money without even knowing Finnish. Education agents who placed students in Nepal had told her about good job opportunities.
– I read in the newspapers that Finland is the happiest country and the passport ranks third, says Indian Bhaveshkumar Babubhai Patel , or Bhavesh Patel for short, in Savonlinna.
Rikita, Bhavesh Patel and many others were in for a rude surprise in Finland. There is an unemployment crisis here, there are no jobs, and there is not enough money to live on.
The dream images created by the agents turned out to be false.
– They didn't tell me anything about how difficult life can be as a student if you can't find a job and can't finance your life, Rikita says.
“Something is better in Finland,” Bhavesh Patel remembers thinking.
Foreign students are even threatened with deportation from Finland, which is why they are afraid to talk about the reality of everyday life.
Students came to Finland because politicians here wanted to train foreign talent. Thousands of students decided to go to “the happiest country in the world.”
Yle's MOT found out what went wrong when Finland started attracting international talent.
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“A new class of poor people has been created in Finland”
A change could be seen in bread lines a couple of years ago, when a large number of foreign students started appearing in them.
The most frequent recipients of food aid are students from South Asian countries: India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, says Markus Honkonen, social director of the City of Helsinki, who is familiar with the bread queue's customers.
10–15 percent of the visitors in a single food line are foreign students. That's a total of 100–150 people at a time.
Sonja Jakobsson, a university chaplain at the Helsinki Congregational Church, constantly meets with foreign students in distress. Her colleagues around the country are also familiar with the phenomenon.
“A new class of poor people has been created in Finland,” says university chaplain Sonja Jakobsson.
Jakobsson speaks of “victims of international educational recruitment”.
– There are a lot of victims. A new class of poor people has been created in Finland.
Foreign students in Finland basically have to manage on their own because they are not entitled to social security.
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“Go to the happiest country in the world”
What makes a foreign student want to come to Finland?
Advertising videos circulating online glorify the "happiest country in the world", where it is easy for students to get a job and earn a comfortable income.
The videos are made especially by education agents from these South Asian countries, whose business is to send students to educational institutions. A large part of the students come to Finland through them.
Agents provide their clients with information about Finland, advise on finding a place to study, and even handle paperwork. They arrange for a student to come to Finland for money.
"In Finland you can build a good career, receive social benefits for family members and a permanent residence permit faster than in other countries," agents advertise.
“They said it’s easy to get a job here”
Bhavesh Patel came to study tourism and service business at the South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences in Savonlinna last year.
Patel says bluntly that he was misled by an Indian education agent.
– They said it's easy to get a job here. That's not true.
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"You can't get a job without language skills," Patel worries.
Many agents work in collaboration with Finnish educational institutions. They may charge twice for their work, first to the student, then to the educational institution.
“Agents are only interested in their fee. They are not interested in what the student does in Finland,” says Patel.
“Finland is the most attractive country for Indians because they know that social benefits are better than in other European countries,” says Patel, among other things.
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Marin's government created a magnet – and set off a poverty trap
In order for a student to enter Finland, they need a residence permit.
Sanna Marin's (sd.) government created a new attraction for foreign students in 2022.
In the opinion of university chaplain Jakobsson, a new poverty trap was set in motion.
Students entering higher education received a residence permit for the whole duration of their studies, whereas previously it was only granted for one year at a time. Students often bring their families with them. Spouses receive state benefits, unemployment compensation and housing allowance, although students do not.
When the law changed, universities began to increase the number of English-language degree places.
Students from outside Europe were particularly wanted because they have to pay to study in Finland. The schools receive money from this.
Students and their families began to flow in, especially from South Asia, where Rikita and Bhavesh Patel also come from.
"80 percent of the information I was told about Finland was wrong," says Bhavesh Patel.
People in Finland are willing to sacrifice their wealth to dream of a better life.
Patel, who came with his wife and child, used up 18 years of savings. His father supported the move by selling the family's land.
Coming to Finland costs 20,000–30,000 euros out of the box. Tuition fees cost around ten thousand euros, and the same amount must be set aside for living expenses for a year. On top of that, there are travel expenses and possible fees to an education agent.
Many students are heavily in debt when they come to Finland.
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Nepali trapped in Finland
Rikita, who came to Finland with her husband, borrowed 30,000 euros from her parents and relatives. She promised to start paying off the debt in six months.
– In Nepal, people help relatives and lend money, which pays interest. I thought I could find a part-time job and gradually pay off my debt.
It turned out differently. Rikita has not been able to repay the loan at all in over a year.
Rikita will soon have to borrow more, as he will have to pay tuition fees of almost 10,000 euros in December. Otherwise, he could lose his right to study and, with it, his residence permit.
"They didn't tell me anything about how difficult life can be as a student if you can't find a job and can't finance your life," Rikita says of the activities of education agents. Photo: Silja Viitala / Yle
The savings brought from Nepal ran out six months after arriving in the country. The money was no longer enough for rent and food.
– I met the school priest who advised me on food aid. I went there a couple of times a week. It was a great help, Rikita says.
Rikita and her husband now live mainly on the 750 euros Kela benefit that the spouse who is in language training receives. Rikita has done occasional cleaning work.
A student coming to Finland must show that they have 9,600 euros in their account for a year's living expenses in order to receive a residence permit.
– In practice, that's enough for six months and then they start seeking help, says university chaplain Sonja Jakobsson.
The asset requirement can also be circumvented, for example, by borrowing money for the duration of the application process, after which it is returned.
In this case, the student may actually be penniless and living in debt.
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Students fear expulsion
Yle interviewed a dozen foreign students. They do not dare to speak about their plight using their names and faces.
Exceptions include Rikita, who appears by his first name, and Bhavesh Patel.
Patel's situation finally improved when he got a job as a kitchen assistant at his compatriot Mohit Shokeen's restaurant in Savonlinna.
Many fear deportation.
A couple of years ago, the Finnish Immigration Service Migri began post-screening of foreign students.
The residence permit may be revoked if, for example, the student repeatedly applies for social assistance or if the studies do not progress.
This year, over a thousand student residence permits have already been considered for cancellation. On average, over half of the permits considered for cancellation are also cancelled.
Fear of expulsion exacerbates the students' plight.
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"This cannot ethically continue like this"
According to Sonja Jakobsson, Finland's current educational recruitment also creates illegal immigration, labor exploitation and even sexual exploitation.
– It is very alarming. This cannot ethically continue like this, says the university chaplain.
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University chaplain Sonja Jakobsson prepared the distribution of donated winter clothing to foreign students at the Parish Hall in Kallio, Helsinki, in October.
Young women who come alone are particularly vulnerable. When they are short of money, they can enter into sham marriages or be sexually exploited in exchange for an apartment. Yle has spoken to two students who have had such experiences.
Priest Jakobsson is haunted by the fate of the students.
– The students have not taken on large debts and relatives have sold land for this. They came here to lose their property and control over their lives. And they have many children with them.
It is very difficult for students in Finland to earn tens of thousands of euros while studying, says Jakobsson.
He thinks it would be better if most of the tuition fees were covered by savings when they came here, or if they could receive substantial scholarships for them.
Funds intended for living should be locked in a Finnish bank account so that they cannot be immediately returned if they have been borrowed.
Jakobsson would not allow the use of training agents at all.
– They create more victims than success stories.
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“Don't believe education agents”
Despite everything, Rikita thinks it was worth it for her to come to Finland.
Returning to your home country empty-handed is not a realistic option for many. It may be impossible to cover tens of thousands of euros in debt with the income from your country of origin.
Even though Rikita has fallen into poverty in Finland, he still doesn't consider coming here a mistake.
– I wouldn't say that. I was excited because I had heard a lot of good things about Finland and there is good social security here. Everything is fine otherwise, but there are not enough stable jobs.
He gives advice to Nepalese people who plan to study in Finland.
– Don't just believe what consultants or training providers say.
by ScientistHulk
28 comments
This should be a sticky. Do not come here, people are lying to you for their own benefit, not yours.
The conditions are clear for anybody who wants to come here to potentially find a better life. Nobody can say they were guaranteed a job, or even a life here.
International students who cheat the system by not having the money for supporting their student life, even though they are supposed to have it in order to get their student residence permit, really are not our problem. They came here cheating the rules, why should the taxpayers support them.
Pretty fucked up. Easy to scam naive, uneducated, poor people with promises from “the happiest country in the world”.
Students are poor, who would have guessed
All that this tells me is that they shouldn’t be in Finland, and indeed, should be promptly returned to their home countries.
I keep hearing about people/agents lying to students to get them here, but who are these people? Are they getting paid commissions? If anything they should be named, shamed and made public so anyone seeking info on Finland can know they’re unreliable sources of information
Well when we suggest people here in comment to not come to Finland because no work or jobs, people dislike our comment!!!
It’s reality no jobs or work here for anyone!
These student agent/ agencies have connections with the AMK universities. They get commission on the basis of students they can bring.
Yeah I mean the international students who lied and misled in their applications about their financial situation should be deported posthaste, the classic old postimerkki perseeseen idiom etc.
I don’t buy that all of the blame lies with these mysterious training agents. The applicants themselves obviously knew they were lying.
While I think that the current system of giving degree-students the residence permit for the whole degree and allowing their families to join them is idiotic, the students are still responsible for themselves. The current government, while there are few good things to say about them, have at least made it so, that Migri is quite a bit more active in following-up on whether the students are actually here to study or not.
The most surprising thing to me is that a spouse of an international student can come to Finland, attend labor market training (for free), and receive €750 per month from Kela. On top of that, international students and their family members are given A-type residence permits and are entitled to many other benefits.
I honestly can’t believe they created such a stupid law.
I remember foreign students only got B type permit and had to review annually without any Kela benefits.
Increase the taxes!!! We need to support them!!!
As someone who wants to migrate from Italy to Finland, these sob-stories made by people who migrated to Finland expecting a perfect life in the happiest country in the world, without the least amount of learning the language, preparation or job-hunting, make me so mad.
Do you expect to move to Finland and be spoon-fed by the welfare system just because? The welfare system is a safety net if things go horribly wrong, it’s not a miracle instrument that gives you free money.
Super simple solution if you don’t like it here: go home
So scammer agencies and cheating students are now Marin’s fault as well.
I have nothing to say but that these people shouldn’t be here in the first place, the policy is terrible, and they should leave.
Immigration doesn’t work if it creates a permanent underclass.
Attract people who want a good quality of life and who will pay taxes immediately.
Making this about Sanna Marin is blatant misogyny.
It is easy to fix, if politicians can get away from the AMK lobbying.
Reverse the law, I don’t think this a crime against humanity to:
_ only give 1 year renewable visa, with results/-attendance conditions
_ de-correlate student visa from family reunion, mostly only older students have family, they already have studied abroad and the second study here is a first an immigration path (and let’s not ignore that it can also be an entry step towards other countries so limit Schengen), only second an education path (I am not even going to talk but the quality of some programs)
_ ask realistic yearly amount based on real cost of living, and no work (small jobs can be bonus) do it at visa renewal see point one. You could even allow family in this case with a multiplier
_ throw a bonus for Finnish language acquisition, like some future tax discount.
>“Don’t believe education agents”
I guess they didn’t learn from studying in Canada. If you replace “Finland” with “Canada” it stays 90% true.
In Canada, we had international students going to food banks (they are supposed to be able to prove they arrived with enough money to support themselves) and living under bridges. Some landlords crowd in students, they fit in 3 students per bedroom. The student’s family often sells their farm to afford the tuition. They don’t attend class, instead working to gain enough hours to qualify for permanent residency. It’s a mess
These poor fuckers pay 10k euros per year plus living cost, for a degree from a (quite frankly) shit ranking and reputation amk, in a country where job market is closed and require a language that nearly impossible to master in 3,5 years … Whenever I saw one of this poor souls, I feel bad for them. Why would you do that anyway? Surely with the internet you must know that for the same or less amount of money you could’ve chosen many other EU countries? Or pay more to go to Australia or USA. Who would spend 16k+ euros per year to study in Finland?
Article about how a new class of poor has been created and the comments are just people obsessing over how to monitor that class more closely and not give them residence for the duration of study, in the country they are spending their money in, trying to get employment within and often paying thousands into the Finnish education industry (for it is an industry) to study.
Some people are fucking allergic to punching up. Will bend over for healthcare cuts, top tax bracket breaks and worker rights erosion, but have plenty of vitriol left over for students.
Orpo’s government took LBJ’s advice; give them a foreigner to hate and they’ll open their pockets for you themselves.
Getting free benefits parasitically
I have been wondering how on earth people abroad think that it is easy to get a job in Finland as a foreigner. Is someone spreading it as a lie or is it just a false belief trackable to popular culture or similar. Unless you are a top level programmer or an invited professor, it is extremely hard to get a well-paid job in Finland as a foreigner. Someone of course always manages to do it but as a rule of thumb, unless you speak Finnish it is hard to get even a “normal” job. There is a queue even to cleaning jobs and Wolt delivery agents “partnership”.
All these bot comments failed to speak about how there are less opportunities in the first place. If there are enough opportunities, students will have a job to work and contribute to the economy. Whatever marin govt did might be wrong but why people aren’t questioning the current govt about lack of opportunities even for finnish people? You seem to bash people who are already in a sad state yet fail to speak on your own govt ? Why ?
It’s one of the most naive policies i’ve ever seen. And those cheating students will keep playing their victim card again and again until they get PR or citizenship.
Regarding class and new class, no, they are just like the rest of the working class and students: debtridden and difficulty finding jobs.
I worked with a lot of South Asian immigrants who arrived here since 2010 and up to the newer one.
The majority of the older generation South Asian who has been here for over 10 years, they hated the new rules for the students who can bring their family members to Finland since they had difficulty bringing their family members, especially spouse. They rarely able to get good paying jobs in Finland after graduation although they speak decent Finnish , A2-B1 level. They had to work 2 jobs just to be able to afford to bring their spouse to Finland. Dealing with all the hassle to integrate their spouse to Finnish workforce. Most the spouse also weren’t happy that they couldn’t get the same job they have done back in their home country. My close friend’s wife used to work in a bank as she has economic degree back home and she was able to get a job as fast food worker only after passing YKI intermediate test.
Also what doesn’t make sense is new students have to pay 10k euros every year for their study most of them like in this story have to take a loan from their relatives or anyone and hoping to pay it in Finland by getting a job. The idea is so far-fetched in my mind. Unless you are guaranteed to get scholarship that you don’t need to spend any penny for your study. Taking a loan for your study abroad is just dumb. Let alone thinking that you will pay it off as soon as possible by getting a job while studying.
I was an international student when I got my bachelor degree. I asked my parents if I could study in the USA back then, as I have my grandparent and my uncle living there and the house that they live in was paid mostly by my dad, so at least if my dad asked them to house me it would be possible. But no, my dad already calculated that he won’t have enough money to pay off my full tuition for 4 years bachelor study, so I asked to go to closer country that my dad already has an apartment so I can save some living cost and lower tuition cost. Because in our family belief it is a responsibility for a parent to pay for child education up to whatever degrees possible to study, as long as parent has the money. And for disclosure, I was born in a country where free education is not available and good education is always private one. Even the public education still has small amount of fee and getting inside was full of corruption and nepotism.
I don’t get it. If they are bad students – why aren’t they expelled from the university? It almost looks like the university is actively trying to keep them around so that they are paying.
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