Guide | Writing a repatriation policy

Every museum in the UK needs a repatriation policy.

Arts Council England’s Restitution and Repatriation: A Practical Guide for Museums in England recommends that: “Museums, whether or not they have received a claim for restitution or repatriation, should be managing their collections and be aware that a claim for restitution may be  a possibility.” 

Repatriation may be new to you or your institution, but having a policy in place helps to ensure that you are prepared for any claims in the future.  

1. Know your requirements but be flexible 

Depending on the governance structure  of your museum, there may be certain requirements for repatriation that will need to be reflected in your policy. However, you should avoid creating unnecessary demands or conditions for return and strive for a flexible policy that can work for many different potential claimants. 

Where you can defer to those making the claim, you should do so. For example, the Hunterian, which is part of the University of Glasgow, has a repatriation policy that does not dictate what kind of items can be claimed.

Instead, it states: “The question ‘what is suitable for repatriation?’ is not one that can be answered by overseas collecting institutions alone. This question must be put to Indigenous communities, who are best placed to understand what material is significant and will support their continuing cultural practices, or is important to have returned to their communities.” 

2. Consult with future claimants 

The most important, but most overlooked, part of writing a repatriation policy is consulting with potential future claimants. Consider how your repatriation policy can minimise the burden on claimants, prevent further harm and support their broader aims.  

Consultation should be a key part of your repatriation process to ensure a respectful, informed and transparent approach. The outcomes should be represented and embedded in your policy.  

3. Inform and involve decision-makers 

Governing bodies are usually the final decision-makers for repatriation claims (although they don’t have to be). They will often be unfamiliar with repatriation, so involving them in the process of writing and approving a policy is an important part of making sure that they understand what repatriation is and their responsibilities. 

As with many other collections management policies, your repatriation  
policy should be reviewed regularly. It should also be reviewed after every repatriation to ensure that the policy reflects any learnings from each process. 

4. Keep it simple and efficient 

Your policy should set out a simple and efficient process for both your institution and those making a claim. Find ways of reducing bureaucracy and minimising the duration of the process.  

5. Future-proof your policy 

It is important to think about how you will maintain institutional memory regarding repatriation, and to embed this into your policy. It may take a claimant months or even years before they are ready, or able, to make a claim. 

Repatriation should not be one person’s responsibility. This risks delays or breakdowns in communication and relationships. Your policy should be shared throughout your organisation to ensure all teams are familiar with repatriation and your approach. 

Rather than having a single point of contact, introduce a general repatriation email address, which ensures that claimants can always reach your institution as discussions continue – even when individuals leave. 

6. Share widely 

Publish your repatriation policy prominently on your website and share it directly with potential claimants. This signals openness to repatriation and sets clear expectations for the process.  

Sharing the policy is only the first step of the process. To truly support communities seeking the return of their ancestors and belongings, you should be proactively sharing collections information and making it as accessible as possible.  

A visible and well-communicated policy, accompanied by proactive transparency, helps to build the foundation for trust, accountability and meaningful repair. 

Amy Shakespeare is a PhD researcher at the University of Exeter and the founder of Routes to Return, an organisation that works to facilitate international repatriation