Coalition parties back plan to keep international students

A resolution requiring the Dutch government to prepare a strategy aimed at “retaining” international students after the completion of their studies received the backing of three coalition parties on 16 January.

As reported by Ad Valvas, the independent journal for staff and students of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the previous government was “brought down by disputes over migration, with study-related migration being a negative issue for some parties. The current coalition, in which the PVV – the Party for Freedom headed by Geert Wilders – is the largest party, still seeks to limit foreign student numbers”.

However, as noted by Ad Valvas and previously reported by University World News, the government’s stance against internationalisation has come under criticism from regions experiencing population decline and large corporations.

According to Ad Valvas, a “proposed cut has been eased in consultation with various opposition parties, resulting in a modified policy for specific regions”.

Shift in sentiment

The resolution, proposed by Marieke Koekkoek of the pro-European Union party Volt and adopted on 16 January by a solid majority including the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, New Social Contract (NSC), and Farmer–Citizen Movement or BBB, seems to confirm that shift in sentiment.

The motion notes that the Netherlands “is not a leader in attracting and retaining knowledge migrants compared to other countries”. It goes on to argue that “various factors” play a role in this, “such as career opportunities for accompanying partners and stigmas about population growth”.

Referring to successful initiatives in the EUREGIO (a cross-border region between the Netherlands and Germany) to attract and retain talent, including encouraging international students through investments in education, knowledge clusters, collaborations between education and business, new housing construction, and attracting business, it requests the government to draw up an action plan on the retention of international students and talent for the Netherlands based on best practices from the EUREGIO and other European member states.

Retention of existing students

Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Eddy van Hijum (NSC) endorsed the resolution during the debate in parliament. “This concerns the retention of international students”, he said, hinting that their coming to the country in the first place was not the point at issue, according to Advalvas.

His party leader, Pieter Omtzigt, said in December during the parliamentary debate on “demographic developments” that 20,000 basic grants are awarded to students from other EU countries. “In our opinion, letting all these students return abroad is not a wise use of public funds,” he is reported to have said.

The Socialist Party voted against the resolution together with the PVV. Party leader Jimmy Dijk proposed his own resolution, asserting that “the revenue models of labour, knowledge workers, and study migration lead to exploitation here and cause knowledge loss and social disruption in the countries of origin”. However, his resolution was not supported.

Economic impacts

International education expert Dr Simon Morris-Lange told University World News that the economic impact of international graduates who stay and work in the Netherlands is still “vastly underestimated”.

“With a retention rate of just 25%, the country lags behind France and Germany, where up to 50% remain. But retention isn’t just about residence permits – it requires better local coordination, especially in regions like Limburg, which are going to be hit hard by demographic decline.

“Here is where universities, employers, and municipalities must coordinate their support services to ensure that retention is intentional, not incidental. A strong action plan should connect these dots,” Morris-Lange said.

Contradictory legislation

Ruben Puylaert, spokesperson for the peak body Universities of the Netherlands (UNL), told University World News: “The motion suggests it is about retaining international students after their studies in the Netherlands. As universities, we consider this important and think it is good that there is political attention to this.”

He noted: “This month, the IND [Immigration and Naturalisation Service] already revealed that the number of knowledge workers in the Netherlands is falling. It is vital that international talent remain in the Netherlands after graduation.

“At the same time, this is contradictory to the legislation and cutbacks these coalition parties are planning … After all, the legislative proposal ‘Internationalisation in Balance’ will lead to a sharp drop in the number of international students.”

He explained: “This will have negative effects on the quality of our education, our research, and the labour market. Then we can make plans to increase the stay rate, but if students stop coming at all – even in the sectors where there is a major labour market shortage – then this will be pointless.”

Common sense

Independent higher education strategist Peter van der Hijden told University World News that the shift in approach represented by the resolution meant that it “clearly paid off to appeal to the Dutch mercantile spirit”.

He said the moral of the story was: “Never despair, make your point, and common sense will prevail eventually.

“Now let’s keep the momentum and work on flanking policies in terms of student housing and engaging with ordinary citizens, for example, offering low-threshold certified learning for all.”