September 02, 2022
Annual Survey Finds International Students Treated Poorly in Netherlands
I International students in the Netherlands are frequently treated as "second class citizens," according to an annual survey looking into their experiences and treatment, and more needs to be done to support them.
The Dutch National Student Association's Interstedelijk Studenten Overleg conducted the annual international student survey, which revealed that institutions and authorities did not provide enough assistance to foreign students after they arrived as well as inadequate information about life in the Netherlands.
…the Second-Class' status of international students is caused by multiple factors, including their mental well-being, poor information provision on health insurance, the challenges connecting with Dutch students, and more…
According to Terri van der Velden, president of ISO, "The Second-class' status of international students is caused by multiple factors, including their mental well-being, poor information provision on health insurance, the challenges connecting with Dutch students, and more."
Students from 27 different Dutch institutions provided responses to questions in the report about important topics like mental health, the Dutch healthcare system, insurance, and housing.
The majority of students find the information provided by their own institutions to be helpful, but problems with the Dutch government's system for living in the Netherlands are being experienced by international students. One student responded, "It is very difficult to get oriented as an international for the first few months - a lot of government information and service is in Dutch only or in very poor incomprehensible English, making processes like getting a BSN [national security ID number] almost impossible... and impossible to make a GP registration."
As per ISO, there should be consideration given to providing international students with access to mental health services, and both institutions and policymakers should ensure that this access is open and equitable.
Also suggested by ISO is the implementation of an "integrated housing policy" for incoming students, as there are numerous signals "currently indicating" that housing is not in order.
Van der Velden currently refers to students as "second class citizens," so more than just a few of his recommendations must be implemented—perhaps even a complete overhaul—to prevent this feeling.
Posted in News and tagged News, Netherlands, International Students, Second Class Citizens, G-20, Dutch National Student Association, Integrated Housing Policy
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