International student strikes back

Lately, there has been a lot of discussion about whether international students are good or bad for the country. I have tried to stay as silent as possible during each discussion, gathering as much input as possible from each point of view, so now I have the amount of data necessary to react. 

TU Delta, the news platform at TU Delft, has recently posted an article in Dutch in which the speaker expresses nationalistic views. Some people believe that it is time for Bachelor’s programmes to be taught solely in Dutch. I am genuinely curious to see how they would teach English Language & Culture in a language other than English or how students would be able to speak English at a professional level without practising the language daily. Furthermore, the Dutch “version” of this Bachelor’s already exists: it is called “Literary Studies”.  

International students are definitely not a threat to Dutch culture. By working and learning in an international environment, Dutch students can get acquainted with different cultures and open up their minds to new ideas and points of view. It is a lot more rewarding for people to spend time with peers coming from other countries, as it gives you an insight into how cultural barriers work, which could inspire new experiences for the future.

And then I wonder, what about Dutch students going to study abroad? Some parents are quick to blame international students coming to the Netherlands for the housing crisis and everything else, but how would they feel if their child was the one feeling unwelcome in a foreign country? How would they feel if they spent all their savings to ensure their children could study abroad to learn about the world, just to find out that they are being treated like weeks-old leftovers in a broken fridge? 

It has also been proven that, given the right possibilities, international students prefer to stay in the Netherlands after they graduate, either to pursue a Master’s degree or find a job. Quite a large number of international students end up staying here, paying taxes here, working for Dutch companies and helping the Dutch economy grow. Most of them also learn the language. 

Leaving your country to pursue your studies abroad is not as easy as people make it out to be. It is absolutely vervelend, as an international student, that after working my butt off for about 25 hours a week to support myself, my studies, and pay for rent in this very expensive country, all I hear from politicians is that “international students are a threat for Dutch education and economy”. Without international students, the employment shortage for those jobs that Dutchies do not want to do would grow even more. Literally, without me or my colleagues the Lidl I work at right now would have to shut down, as 98 percent of the staff is international. Yes, we are international. Yes, we speak broken Dutch to each other, because we are desperately trying to fit in and feel welcome. Let that sink in.