Report on the impact of the coronavirus crisis on internationals in The Hague region
Firstly, thank you to all respondents for sharing your thoughts with us about the impact of the coronavirus crisis in your lives. More than 900 individuals from the international community in The Hague region responded to our online survey and below are some insights from the report.
Internationals feel sufficiently informed about the coronavirus measures
The data shows that most internationals feel sufficiently informed about the coronavirus measures in the Netherlands. With an average score of 7.4 out of 10, respondents identified Expat and Dutch media, as well as RIVM (National Institute of Public Health and Environment) as their main sources of information. Though reassuring, we do identify the gap for more English-language communications.
Travel restrictions a main concern
Respondents expressed concerns about travel restrictions, while home-schooling their children and healthcare for themselves and their family were also issues that they were worried about. These issues are somewhat consistent with the effect of the coronavirus on their lives, with more than 30% having to home-school their children and more than 70% following health regulations. About 75% of respondents reported that they had to work from home, and a handful (27%) of internationals struggled with social isolation as a result of the coronavirus measures.
Most respondents received support from their employers
It is encouraging to see that many respondents received additional support from their employers and that job security is not a big concern. Almost 50% of respondents reported that they received information about the coronavirus measures from their employers, with many also receiving advice on (46%), and equipment for (39%), working at home.
How can The Hague International Centre help during the coronavirus crisis
More than half of the respondents expressed that they would like us to share information about the coronavirus measures, rights of internationals, as well as practical tips about living and working in the region. We are encouraged by this feedback and we will continue to share relevant and up-to-date information with the international community.
Respondents also revealed their interest in various topics which we plan to include in our future CONNECT events. These events could be presented in the form of live, digital (webinar) or an integration of both. Watch our events page for the latest updates.
Thank you for participating in our survey. Your valuable feedback provided the insights to help us better our services for the international community in The Hague region.