repatriation

noun

re·​pa·​tri·​a·​tion (ˌ)rē-ˌpā-trē-ˈā-shən 

-ˌpa-

plural repatriations

: the act or process of restoring or returning someone or something to the country of origin, allegiance, or citizenship : the act of repatriating or the state of being repatriated

While officials privately acknowledge there is scant legal basis for repatriation, their public statements suggest that they would use lawsuits, diplomatic pressure and shame to bring home looted objects—not unlike Italy, Greece and Egypt, which have sought, with some success, to recover antiquities in European and American museums.

—Andrew Jacobs

They say they have that right under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, which requires that human remains and artifacts be returned to Indian tribes that can show a cultural link.

—Timothy Egan

This left him an illegal immigrant in Hong Kong, subject to arrest and repatriation at any time.

—Nicholas D. Kristof

Examples of repatriation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The crackdown on those who are neither registered with the UNHCR nor awaiting resettlement to a third country is continuing in phases, with thousands of Afghans sheltering in safehouses and slums hoping to resist repatriation to their home country. —Sophia Saifi, CNN, 6 Feb. 2025

Gonzalez’s great grandfather’s brother was deported during the repatriation period. —Victoria Valenzuela, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2025

But recent events in the Middle East have complicated the government’s repatriation plans. —Raquel Carvalho, TIME, 5 Feb. 2025

While there's no mention of Bunker in the Asian Art Museum's records, the museum connected her involvement to Latchford through an article published last year by members of Thailand's repatriation committee in the International Journal of Cultural Property. —Sam Tabachnik, The Denver Post, 1 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined above