Dutch universities have begun sacking staff as the government cuts on education spending begin to bite, broadcaster NOS said on Monday.

The University of Twente in Enschede is cutting 40 jobs, while University College Roosevelt in Middelburg is reducing its workforce by 20, or 25%. The college is part of the University of Utrecht.

Amsterdam’s VU university is also cutting jobs, and the Open University also expects to let people go, NOS said. Other institutions are currently assessing their staffing numbers.

There are various reasons for the job cuts, NOS said. Firstly, the government has agreed to slash spending on higher education and research by €500 million, and that is having an impact on budgets.

Universities are also facing higher prices for energy, as well as staffing and other costs. And thirdly, draft legislation to cut the number of international students is also having an impact, particularly in border areas.

“Sacking staff is the most painful measure universities can take,” Caspar van den Berg, head of the university association Universiteiten van Nederland, said.

HBO colleges and trade schools are also facing making cuts because of the cutbacks.

Last year 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.