There comes a time for every expat to face the challenges of repatriation. Whether it’s for retirement, economic slowdown, or taking up a local assignment, coming home is usually the final phase of an overseas assignment.

But no one tells you about this part of the journey.

Expats know how to prepare for a new assignment, whether it’s Singapore or Senegal, they’ll learn about their host country, study the language, find the best place to live, read up on food, culture and schools.

But the hardest assignment is that of coming home-repatriation-it can be even harder than leaving. When expats go abroad, they expect everything to be new, different, exciting, but when returning home, they expect everything to be just as they left it, when in reality the place has changed, their friends have changed, and they have changed. This is also known as reverse culture shock.

Reverse Culture Shock

Reverse culture shock happens when returning to a place that one expects to be home but is no longer. It is usually more difficult to manage because it’s subtle and unexpected. Expats returning home are shocked into the realization that they have changed substantially.

While both they and their home countries have changed, the major change happens to expats and their families as they have broadened their experience of living abroad in a new place and a new culture. Returning to friends and family who have not had the same experience and missing life abroad can lead to feelings of displacement and not belonging in either country. Generally, the longer expats have been away, the longer it takes to feel completely at home. And the more different the culture of assignment is from home country, the more difficult the transition.

Employees and Partners

The struggle of repatriations is not just an emotional or psychological adjustment. While many multinational companies use plenty of resources to prepare employees for an international transfer, they are less attentive to those repatriating. Statistically, 20 percent of repatriates leave their company within a year, and 40 percent within two years. This number should be concerning for companies given the amount they invest in these employees both financially and developmentally. More needs to be done to retain them.

Accompanying partners probably face greater problems of resettlement. Without the social environment and structure of the workplace, feelings of loneliness start to seep in. They are also typically left to manage all the details of the move and often find themselves on the receiving end of each family members’ frustration with little outlets for their own feelings. The good news is that many returnees have acquired new skills and language. They have the option, if they so choose, to either return to their previous careers or change direction.

Expat Kids

Children and teenagers, often referred to as ‘Third Culture Kids’ can also feel as if they don’t belong anywhere and feel detached and isolated from their peers who have lived a very different life. The best way to ease the transition is to establish links with other returning expats and with local groups involved with international issues or with interests they have developed while away. It’s worth remembering however that ‘Third Culture Kids’ tend to do very well academically and in their careers as they have the necessary independence and confidence skills that they have built up during their childhood experience.

Going Forward

While there is no easy answer to ease the transition of repatriation, the best advice is to treat the transition as you would any other assignment. It is also important to allow time to readjust and work out the feelings of loneliness and isolation. Many repatriates find it helpful to seek out others with similar experiences.

And remember to stay international no matter the circumstances! Don’t give up your character and interest learned from abroad to fit in. Maintain your lifestyle from the food you ate abroad to the nature of your evolving personality. After all, as the quote goes, “I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world,” Mary Anne Radmacher.

Read more:

• Trailing Spouse vs Accompanying Partner: Semantics or Identity Crisis
• Challenges of Raising Third Culture Kids