zurückgesandten

Zurückgesandte is a German noun derived from the verb zurücksenden, meaning to send back. It refers to a person who has been returned by an authority to their country or place of origin. The term can function as a formal or historical label and is commonly encountered in discussions of migration, asylum policies, warfare, and post‑conflict repatriation.

In usage, Zurückgesandte can describe individuals who were sent back for administrative, legal, or security reasons. It often appears in archival documents, academic writing, and historical accounts. The concept is related to, but distinct from, other terms such as Rückführung (the process of return), Repatriierung or Repatriation (return to one’s country of citizenship), Rückkehr (return in a more general sense), as well as deportation or Abschiebung (forced removal from a country).

Spelling and grammar: the noun form is capitalized as Zurückgesandte (singular: der Zurückgesandte; plural: die Zurückgesandten). The lowercase form zurückgesandten can occur only as a declined participle within phrases, for example in constructions like „die zurückgesandten Personen“. In contemporary usage, the term may feel dated or context-specific, with more common alternatives in policy debates such as Rückkehrer or Repatriierte when referring to people who have returned to their home country.

See also: Rückführung, Repatriierung, Rückkehr, Deportation, Abschiebung.