{"id":161564,"date":"2023-11-22T10:42:41","date_gmt":"2023-11-22T09:42:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=161564"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:03","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:03","slug":"party-leaders-lock-horns-at-ahoy-debate-on-international-students-the-housing-crisis-and-climate-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2023\/11\/22\/party-leaders-lock-horns-at-ahoy-debate-on-international-students-the-housing-crisis-and-climate-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"Party leaders lock horns at Ahoy debate on international students, the housing crisis and climate policy"},"content":{"rendered":"

The EFR\/Eenvandaag election debate highlighted a number of issues related to students. The leaders of the six largest parties locked horns on a number of issues, including international students, climate policy and the housing crisis. \u201cWe\u2019re not against international students, but the housing market is currently incredibly crowded.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Geert Wilders (PVV), Pieter Omtzigt (NSC), Dilan Ye\u015filg\u00f6z (VVD) and Rob Jetten (D66) debate international students. (2023)<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDaan Stam<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

This year, the debate between the party leaders was hosted at Ahoy for the first time, having taken place at the aula in previous years. The leaders of the six largest parties in the polls convened at the RTM Stage of the venue to take part in a debate on migration, climate change and socio-economic security. A video clip of students on campus setting out their views of the various issues was shown prior to each debate.<\/p>\n

International students<\/h2>

For the first issue, which was migration, a student in the video clip expressed his concerns about the number of migrants coming into the Netherlands in relation to housing. Geert Wilders (PVV) likewise highlighted the housing crisis and suggested that \u2018Dutch people should once again be prioritised\u2019. Pieter Omtzigt (NSC) emphasised the influx of international students. \u201c40 per cent of places at universities are currently occupied by international students. This year, we will be giving them a basic student grant if they work one day a week. This means that those places as well as the housing, amounting to 120,000 rooms, will not be available.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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