The Repatriation Program provides temporary assistance, care, and treatment for up to 90 days for U.S. citizens or dependents of U.S. citizens who have returned from foreign countries. To qualify for repatriation assistance the individual must be returned from a foreign country because s/he is destitute or ill (including mentally ill) or because of war, threat of war, or a similar crisis. A request must be made by the State Department to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to receive the individual in the United States and to provide the necessary care, treatment, and assistance.
Assistance may be provided for up to 90 days from the date the individual arrives in the United States. This assistance may include reception service, food, shelter, clothing, and transportation. It may also include payment for special services such as medical and psychiatric care. Any assistance that is provided through General Assistance or Emergency Assistance may be reimbursed through federal funds. The individual is required to sign an agreement to repay the U.S. government for the cost of the assistance provided.