The number of international students signing up for a degree course at a Dutch university or college has gone down sharply this year, according to new figures from the Dutch university association.

Amsterdam’s VU university is hardest hit, with a 23% decline in international student numbers. Groningen University applications from students from the EER are down 14%.

The number of applications from outside the EER to study for a university bachelor’s degree are down 9%. Non-EER students pay sharply higher fees. The number of EU students, who pay the same as the Dutch, is down 6%.

Nationwide, applications from EU nationals to attend an hbo college (university of applied science) are down 8% and from outside the EER 7%, new figures show.

The new right-wing government wants a sharp reduction in foreign student numbers and plans to make Dutch the dominant language once again. It says the shift will lead to savings of almost €300 million a year.

Last year, when the previous government began taking steps to reduce numbers, there was relatively little change. Wednesday’s figures reflect the current academic year, prior to publication of the new government’s more drastic plans.

Education minister Eppo Bruins published his plans last month. They aim to ensure only one-third of the classes in most bachelor degree programmes should be in languages other than Dutch and a special committee will have to approve all bachelor degree courses which will be English only.

Currently, one in three bachelor courses in the Netherlands are in other languages and half are a mixture of Dutch and English.

Universities have warned that the government’s approach threatens to decimate the higher education system in the Netherlands. The changes “threaten the future of some courses, which will also impact on Dutch students,” said Caspar van den Berg, chairman of the universities association UNL.

“Everyone knows we need all the talent we can get and our neighbouring countries are going after international talent for research and innovation in a big way,” he said. “The Dutch cabinet is doing the opposite: slamming on the brakes and piling cuts on top of that.”

The finalised figures will be published in the first quarter of next year.

In October it emerged that most of the Netherlands’13 universities have fallen on the latest Times Higher Education ranking, and none now remain in the top 50.

“The new coalition government, with the far-right PVV now the largest party, has proposed restrictions on international students and researchers, including limitations on English-language instruction and higher tuition fees for students from outside the European Union,”the organisation pointed out.