Repatriation Issues

Repatriation issues- Repatriation is the process of returning of a person back to one’s place of origin or citizenship. It is likely that problems of repatriation and reverse culture shock will affect the employee for some time. Reverse culture shock is quite similar in effect to a cultural shock that the employee experiences as the employee gradually gets used to living abroad. The various phases include the honeymoon phase, where the employee is happy to return to what he/she perceives as home; followed by an inevitable rejection and persistent nostalgia for the expatriate lifestyle. While this should ideally lead to an adaptation to the “new old” home, the process is long and gradual, often taking up over two years to resolve.

Expatriates tend to focus on practical issues that go hand in hand with returning to the home country – paying off bills, flight tickets, freight issues, etc. unfortunately, intellectual and emotional preparations required to deal with the change in environment are generally neglected in this process, causing the onset of severe repatriation problems. Generally, the repatriate is surprised to find himself experiencing an intense re-entry cycle; that parallels the one he experienced abroad. Stages of this process include a feeling of shock and homesickness and gradual acceptance and reintegration into society. Reentry is capable of on-setting the same restlessness and vague dissatisfaction with life that is often triggered by initial culture shock.

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