IND: Record number non-European students
More non-European students than ever will start their studies in the Netherlands this September, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) expects. In the first months of this year, up to and including July, the IND received 17,870 applications for a residence permit related to studying in the Netherlands. That’s over 1,200 more than in 2022. The number of applications from international students has been rising for years.
According to the IND, most of these students come from China, India, the United States, Turkey and Indonesia. On average, 98 percent of them do indeed receive a residence permit, according to the press release (in Dutch).
The internationalization of higher education is a sensitive issue, due to the full lecture halls, the housing shortage and problems with students’ language levels. The universities in particular attract a lot of students from other countries. Some Dutch political parties, such as New Social Contract by Pieter Omtzigt, believe that the Bachelor’s programs in particular should in principle be taught in Dutch.
In the previous academic year, some 5,600 Chinese students and 3,500 students from India stayed in the Netherland. However, most international students come from European countries, especially Germany. Last year, almost 23 thousand Germans were studying in the Netherlands. Italy follows at a considerable distance with 7,600 students. (HOP, BB)
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