repatriate

/riˈpeɪtrieɪt/

/riˈpeɪtrieɪt/

Other forms: repatriated; repatriating; repatriates

When a country repatriates people, they are usually refugees who are being sent back to their homeland, often against their wishes.

It is possible for a person to repatriate himself, choosing to return to a country he's left for political or economic reasons, but the verb repatriate is more often used to mean "send refugees home." It might sound like a modern political term, but repatriate has been used since the 1600s. It comes from the Latin word repatriare, "return to one's own country," from the prefix re, "back," and patria, "native land."

Definitions of repatriate

1. verb

   send someone back to his homeland against his will, as of refugees
   type of:

   deliver, deport, extradite

   hand over to the authorities of another country
2. verb

   admit back into the country
   antonyms:

   expatriate

   expel from a country

   type of:

   admit, allow in, intromit, let in

   allow to enter; grant entry to
3. noun

   a person who has returned to the country of origin or whose citizenship has been restored
   type of:

   citizen

   a native or naturalized member of a state or other political community