Repatriation
Definition
The return of human remains, or cultural objects associated with those remains, to the country, community, or family from which they originate. In forensic contexts, repatriation typically refers to the return of identified remains to families after all investigative requirements are satisfied.
- Field
- Forensic anthropology ethics
- Applies to
- Human remains, associated objects
- Timing
- After investigative requirements met
- Recipient
- Country, community, or family
Common questions
What must happen before repatriation of remains can occur?+
Identification work, any required legal proceedings, and documentation are normally completed first, since repatriation can make further examination difficult or impossible afterward.
Does repatriation only apply to remains, or also to objects?+
It covers both, cultural objects closely associated with the remains, such as burial goods, are often addressed under the same repatriation request.
Related terms
- Ante-Mortem Data (AMD)
- Information gathered from families and other sources about a missing person before their remains are identified: physical descriptions, medical and dental records,...
- Dignity of Remains
- The ethical principle that human remains should be handled with care and respect regardless of the circumstances of death or the condition...
- ICRC
- The International Committee of the Red Cross, an independent humanitarian organisation that has developed widely referenced guidelines on the handling of the...
- Secondary Context
- A location where remains have been deposited after being moved from the primary deposition site. Non-disturbance of secondary contexts means not excavating...
- Victim Family Liaison
- The structured process of maintaining communication between an investigation team and the relatives of victims or missing persons. Effective liaison involves both...