The Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) withdrew the international recognition of Avans+ after an affair with Indonesian students, some of whom worked and Stageliep at Zorggroep Drenthe. Foreign students no longer receive a stay permit to study at an Avans+course.
Earlier, the IND already came up with a destructive report on the university, because the project with Indonesian nurses would not be good.
Avans+ responds critically to the decision of the IND. “The motivation for the decision is very limited, hardly anything is left of the initial reproaches. Avans+ finds the substantiation very limited.”
The school is currently investigating whether she will take legal action against the decision. The Hogeschool is happy that the IND grants more time to turn more than seventy Indonesian students to convert their study visa into a labor visa.
The Hogeschool was previously discredited after the IND came up with a destructive report on a work-learning project with Indonesian nurses. Together with mediation agency Yomema from Waalwijk, the school wanted to get 1,200 nurses from the Asian country to the Netherlands annually.
After two years, reports from RTV Drenthe and EenVandaag showed that some of those nurses felt exploited. In the meantime, the Dutch Labor Inspectorate had also started an investigation into the project. The results are not yet known.
According to the report of the IND, the nurses got an incorrect picture of what the project meant, they worked more than allowed and the level of education was not in order. For example, the students had to work as fully -fledged nurses and therefore had working weeks of six days, more than according to the law.
In addition, students were deployed as a worker during internship days, “we have to take responsibility during work, but I also have responsibility on the internship days. I cannot achieve the learning objectives and make assignments because it is too busy,” a student told the report researcher.
Furthermore, Avans+ asked the students for personal data, such as a birth certificate, unmarried statement and other documents that are contrary to the General Data Protection Regulation (AVG). Employees of the educational institution would also tell the students that it is better not to get pregnant.
After the publications, Avans+ pulled the plug from the project. A large proportion of the nurses stopped the work-learning trajectory early.
In December, fifteen nurses and the Hogeschool reached a settlement in court. The students jointly received a reimbursement of 100,000 euros. “We are satisfied with the result,” responded nurse Eva Augustin at the time. “The mental damage remains, but we think we have received justice.”
Seventy Indonesian students are now studying at the Hogeschool. According to Avans+, these students can complete their education, despite the withdrawal of recognition. “We will continue to support these students in applying for a new visa, they deserve a chance to complete the training if they want it themselves,” the school explains. How many of these students are currently working in Drenthe is unknown.