When taking office, the new Dutch cabinet committed to a drastic reduction in international students in order to give the Dutch student body and language a more prominent role, while also making cuts to government spending. Though saving a lot of money for the government, the measures have been met with resistance from the education sector. Some say it would threaten the Netherlands’ status as a knowledge country. As a result, this article attempts to answer the following: what does the government’s policy entail, and what does it mean for the Netherlands’ knowledge economy? 

The Schoof Cabinet, which took office in July, plans to drastically reduce the number of international students starting bachelor courses in the Netherlands. Led by Education Minister Eppo Bruins, the government is to save an extra 293 million a year from 2029 due to the announced cuts to international students.

Back to the Dutch language

Through the initiative of the new established party, New Social Contract, founded by the popular whistleblower parliamentarian Pieter Omtzigt, more emphasis has been placed on the position of international students in the Netherlands in last elections’ campaign. Whereas far right leader Geert Wilders of the Party for Freedom focused primarily on asylum migration, Omtzigt steered the conversation towards student migration. He, as well as his present coalition of Wilders’ party, former prime minister Mark Rutte’s liberal-conservative People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, and the farmer populist party Farmer-Citizen Movement, now believe student migration should be drastically reduced, specifically within the increasingly English-taught Dutch bachelor’s programmes of higher education.

In the new cabinet’s formation period, it had therefore been agreed to reduce international students’ acceptance to the Netherlands and refocus Dutch as the main language of instruction. In addition, the restrictions are aimed at reducing workload for lecturers and working towards less cramped lecture halls. Because of the shortages on the housing market, the government is likewise trying to make more rooms available for Dutch students.

However, the path taken by the newly appointed government is not entirely isolated. The previous government, led by socio-liberal Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf, already presented the ‘Balanced Internationalisation Act’ just before the end of his term. The legislation was committed to broadening the use of Dutch as a language of instruction in lecture halls. In essence, the law aimed to ensure that two thirds of the bachelor courses offered by universities and colleges of higher education were taught in Dutch. The Schoof administration plans to follow through and tighten this bill by barely allowing exceptions to the rule.

The restriction of international students is mainly focused on those students who come from the European Economic Area (the European Union plus Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway) who, like Dutch students, only pay the annual tuition fee of 2,500 euros with the ability to also claim additional funding under certain conditions. The Dutch state hence pays the rest of the tuition fees for this group, which amounts to 8,700 euros per student. Students from countries outside the EEA pay for their entire study themselves and are not entitled to funding. Thus, considering there is far less cost saving potential by reducing the latter group, the government has more to gain, financially, by reducing EEA students.

Criticism from the field

To say the least, the government’s plans have not been welcomed with open arms by many educational institutions and related organisations. In its coalition agreement, the government affirmed its commitment to introducing additional measures to support the numerus fixus system, which limits the number of students admitted to a program—often at the program’s discretion—and to differentiate between EEA students and non-EEA students. In doing so, and as above-mentioned, the government hence wants to reducing the number of EEA students in order to save on associated costs.

However, such an approach goes against European law, particularly that of non-discrimination based on EU nationality, which inhibits preferential treatment between domestic citizens and EU foreign national counterparts. As a result, the Netherlands, like other EU member states, cannot discriminatorily refuse students from these countries if they choose to study in the Netherlands.

In addition, educational institutions such as Maastricht University indicated that the government should stay focused on geographical customisation, given the location of a city like Maastricht which is heavily associated with international students and could lose a significant proportion of its students in case of drastic measures. Yet Minister Bruins indicated that this argumentation alone is insufficient for an exception. Regarding programmes that have a unique status as international programmes, Bruins has reaffirmed his previous stances, referring to his concern that the exception may become the rule.

In all, Dutch universities have generally been adamant that attracting international students is essential for the Netherlands’ competitive position in the international knowledge economy. There is also criticism from colleges of higher education because, apart from the income lost due to a limited number of internationally-oriented programmes, cuts are also being made in scientific research, hindering their functions.

Economy, an ageing population and labour shortages

Recent research by SEO Economic Research revealed that large companies are likewise concerned about proposed plans to limit English-language offerings, which could drastically reduce the number of international students. The study found that such a move would negatively impact the Dutch economy, which heavily relies on international talent, especially at a time when the country faces challenges like an ageing population and labor shortages. Additionally, these companies fear that a reduction in English-language education would weaken the Netherlands’ competitive edge as a destination for skilled expats and businesses, and would diminish the quality of research. Since many international students remain in the Netherlands to work, they play a key role in contributing to the economy, aided by universities and businesses. Limiting English-language education could undermine both the Netherlands’ economic stability and its position as a global and European hub for talent and innovation.

Decline initiated

Nevertheless, the government’s plan to drastically reduce international students seems to be working for now. Recent enrolment figures revealed that there was a 6% drop compared to the previous year among international students enrolling for a bachelor’s programme in the Netherlands. At the Free University of Amsterdam (VU), the drop was the largest, with the university receiving 23.5% fewer foreign applications. The University of Groningen, a city attractive to German students due to its location, also faced a significant drop, amounting to 14% fewer EEA students. An important note to take on these declining percentages is that the resulting open spots were not filled by Dutch students but mainly by non-EEA students. Nevertheless, the announced plans of the new cabinet cannot be seen in isolation from the falling figures, which may already have quite an effect.

What will it bring the Netherlands?

The Schoof government’s proposed policy raises concerns within higher education and business generally. While the aim is to cut spending and replenish state coffers, reduce pressure on teachers and the housing market, research also shows that international students are a prospectively significant drivers to the Dutch economy, not only financially but also in terms of knowledge and innovation. Here, the question remains whether the benefits of reducing international students sufficiently outweigh the risks of deteriorating the Netherlands’ international position. The decline in international students has set in but the doubt remains as to whether it will benefit the Netherlands in the long term.