Whether it’s because of a job, love or something else: an increasing number of international students decides to permanently stay in the Netherlands. While the government used to assume that about 1 in 5 students stick around, new numbers show that 4 in 10 international students still live in the Netherlands five years after graduating.
The numbers were published by Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education. By studying data of three recent graduation years and following the international students up to 7 years after their graduation, the researchers were able to paint a reliable picture of the current situation. That picture is of an increasingly diverse international student population (now totalling 164 different nationalities). Maastricht and Amsterdam have the most international degree students, and many graduates decide to live in either Amsterdam or, to a lesser extent, Rotterdam and The Hague.
While the Netherlands’ policy in attracting and retaining knowledge migrants is still in its infancy, the report states, international students have become the biggest group of (potential) knowledge migrants. The report proposes different policy measures relating the growing number of international students. More and better opportunities to learn Dutch and obtain work experience, for example.
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