The Netherlands benefits little from its foreign students

Most foreign students who attend Dutch universities leave as soon as they have their degrees and do not contribute to the local economy, the Volkskrant reports on Friday.

The claim is made by Sander van den Eijnden, head of Nuffic, the organisation which stimulates the internationalisation of higher education in the Netherlands.

Van den Eijden tells the paper better integration of foreign students would bring advantages for the Dutch economy by encouraging more to stay.

'Our strong point is our English language abilities, that is why they come here,' Van den Eijden is quoted as saying. 'But it is also our weakness because foreign students are on the edge of society because they do nothing in Dutch.

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