Foreign graduates driven away from The Netherlands

Foreign graduates driven away from The Netherlands

International students leave the Netherlands faster after graduation than other countries, a recent survey shows. This is partly because they are given less time to look for a job here. 

Of the students who came here from outside Europe in 2010, only 12 per cent lived in the Netherlands ten years later. By comparison, in Germany the figure was 45 per cent. That is the highest percentage worldwide. Many other countries are also managing to keep this group of expats longer, according to a recent report by the German internationalisation organisation for education DAAD.  

According to Nuffic, DAAD’s Dutch counterpart, international students stay in the Netherlands shorter because they are given less time to find suitable work after graduation. They get one year to find a job before their residence permit expires. In Germany, they get two years to do so. 

Besides the shorter search year, the work culture plays a role in the decision to leave the Netherlands, Nuffic explains. “Employers often demand a good command of the Dutch language and competition for entry-level English-speaking positions is often too great.” 

Furthermore, the housing crisis is making itself felt. It is even harder (in Dutch) for foreign starters to get a house than for Dutch people, according to Nuffic. (HOP, PvT)