International Students In Netherlands Are Finding It Hard To Survive

37% of international students in the Netherlands dissatisfied with opportunities to learn the Dutch language
43% of international students suffer from high stress
One-third of students surveyed claim to pay higher rent than locals

In the academic year 2017-18, the Netherlands hosted over 122,000 international students. This included students enrolled in Bachelor’s and Master’s programs. It was the highest number of international students enrolled in the country.

However, in 2017, 61% of the international students who graduated from Masters programs, left the country with 6 months. This was a jump of 16 since 2001.

One of the reasons for this could be that international students do not feel at home in the country. A recent survey conducted by three student organizations showed that international students struggle to connect with their Dutch peers.

The survey was conducted by three student organizations in the Netherlands; LSVb, ISO and ESN. 1002 international students were recruited for this survey.

International Students In Netherlands — Amsterdam University . Image Courtesy. Michal Klajban

Where Do International Students Come From?

Country	Internatioanl Students	Country	Internatioanl Students
Germany	22,198	France	1,937
China	4,347	Romania	1,842
Italy	3,347	India	1,525
Belgium	2,976	Indonesia	1,504
United Kingdom	2,778	Poland	1,157
Greece	2,370	Lithuania	920
Bulgaria	2,281	United States	807
Spain	2,023	Hungary	730

Data for 2016-2017 academic year. Source: www.eurogates.nl

Why International Students In Netherlands Are Unable To Connect With Peers

Language Issues

While many courses are available in English, international students seem to be struggling with courses to learn the Dutch language. Three-fourths of the students surveyed wished that they could have more contact with their Dutch peers.

Learning Dutch is an important step towards this but 37% of the students said that they were dissatisfied with the opportunities available for them to learn the language.

Accommodation

For most international students accommodation is an issue when they arrive in the country. 72% of respondents said that they wished they could find better housing arrangements.

More than one-third of the students surveyed said that their housing applications had been rejected because of the country they came from. One-third of the students also said that they discovered that they paid higher rent than local students.

Psychological Support

43% of the students surveyed said that they were under high amounts of stress. 40% of them said that they suffered from moderate to extreme psychological issues.

The Solution

The student organizations have called on lecturers to pay more attention to the cultural differences between local and international students in the lecture halls and create more opportunities for them to work together.

Free Dutch language courses have also been proposed to encourage international students to integrate with their peers. The student organizations have also called for improved psychological support to be made available to international students.

To tackle the housing situation, the University of Amsterdam will make 300 student home available to international students by the next academic year. This is in addition to the existing 2,600 students homes.