‘Internationals treated as second-class students’

‘Internationals treated as second-class students’

While a quarter of students now come from abroad, there is still too little attention paid to them, according to student organization ISO. They are treated as ‘second-class students’, says president ISO-Terri van der Velden. She also states that international students are ‘running on their fingers’, which worries her.

Van der Velden makes these statements in response to her own research among internationals. Although the survey, with only 229 respondents, is not representative, the ISO believes that the results are a warning sign. Many international students suffer from mental problems from time to time, the ISO concludes, and half of them would like more contact with Dutch students. One in four would not feel at home here. On the other hand, the respondents give their life in the Netherlands an 8 on average.

The survey was distributed by student organizations ISO, LSVb and the Erasmus Student Network. For a clearer picture, other parties such as the government should distribute this Annual International Student Survey, they believe. Only that does not happen. That is why they do it themselves, this year for the fifth time.

The organizations also have recommendations:

• Focus housing policy on international students and tell them what problems they may encounter.
• Stimulate integration between Dutch and international students.
• Inform international students better about their right to a student card if they work here 56 hours a month and about rules around compulsory insurance. (HOP, BB)