The first Moluccans to arrive in the Netherlands were mostly soldiers serving in the KNIL (Royal Netherlands East Indies Army) and their family members. Their stay in the Netherlands was only expected to be temporary; they hoped to later return to the recently independent Indonesia where they would fight for a free Republic of South Maluku. The Dutch government thwarted their plans for diplomatic reasons, discharging these soldiers from the army. Going back to their Moluccan mother island, Nusa Ina, was no longer an option for them.