International funeral service provision

“Events, dear boy!”

Now, though, funeral service providers are faced with a new set of concerns, including the disruption caused by the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and elsewhere.

“International events and political factors, including escalating events in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the fast-changing political position of many other countries, are having a significant impact on the repatriation sector,” said Sam Tester, Operations Manager at Homeland International, a UK-based repatriation specialist.

Disruptions to flight routes, with embargoes and discontinued or altered routes, are becoming more common, he added: “Flight routes which have been present for decades are changing, causing challenges when booking flights for repatriation cases as sudden route analysis may be required, even for common routes which had become set in stone over the years.

Flight routes which have been present for decades are changing, causing challenges when booking flights for repatriation cases

“This can result in uncertainty for bereaved clients and hence it is the role of the repatriation company to minimise the disruption and to locate the most efficient route as possible, mitigating as much stress or anxiety to the client [as possible].”

Matthew Connors, Director of Operations at New Jersey-based Bergen Funeral Service, concurred: “International conflicts and wars have caused us to adjust our procedures for repatriations to countries in or near conflict zones. “For example, we have had to send all Ukrainian nationals to Poland and have our agent transfer to Ukraine by road, which can be dangerous at times. We are still repatriating Israeli nationals. However, it is difficult when airlines cease operations into Tel Aviv at certain times due to raised concerns over safety. We are in constant communication with the families and update them daily on the transportation logistics.”

International tensions can also compel funeral service providers to take roundabout routes when repatriating remains, Connors said. “Logistics become more difficult but we have always found a way to carry out the families’ and their wishes.

For a country like Venezuela where no US airlines fly there, we have been shipping the remains from the US to the UK, and have been able to secure flights to Venezuela through there,” he noted.

Repatriation may be impossible

“There may be circumstances where repatriation is not possible,” said Greenwood. “Repatriations out of Ukraine or into Ukraine and repatriations out of Gaza are dealt with on a case-by-case basis, as with any repatriation out of or into an area under conflict.”

With more people forced by conflict into exile from their country of birth, funeral service providers are seeing more cases of clients wishing to arrange a burial in a country that the deceased has no connection with, Tester said. “Additionally, we’re experiencing more frequent enquiries for repatriation to a country where a relative resides, to enable the family to hold a burial service. This is not always possible in certain countries, meaning each case requires careful consideration and planning to explore and help support all options for our clients. “It is important for repatriation companies to adapt appropriately for every case as every repatriation is truly unique and requires specialist support,” he added.

With more people forced by conflict into exile from their country of birth, funeral service providers are seeing more cases of clients wishing to arrange a burial in a country that the deceased has no connection with

Supporting the families of the deceased

When fatalities are unforeseen or from violent or unnatural causes, service providers must be able to help often traumatised surviving relatives cope with burdensome bureaucracy as well as their own grief, Tester explained. “The family have usually already faced a distressing number of days or weeks before we will have been instructed to support and to step in to help alleviate the bureaucratic burden placed upon these families from this point on. It’s sadly too common to see families finding themselves burnt out from the liaison with the police, coroners, medical examiners and other parties throughout the investigation process, including tasks which nobody can be prepared for, such as identifying the body of the deceased person. In some countries it is still not possible for the family to hand everything over to the repatriation company.”

Local laws and cultural differences

Cultural differences also present challenges, explained Tester: “With violent deaths in South America, you are usually not permitted to hold a local cremation. Only a local burial or repatriation will be possible. This mirrors local laws whereby cremation is not permitted for violent deaths in case there is a need to reopen an investigation in the future. There is no waiving of these laws for international deaths, which can be challenging for insurers, assistance companies and families to understand. This is an example of where local law isn’t fit for purpose for the modern-day, multicultural communities we are here to support.”

“Death due to unforeseen circumstances, accidents, or suspicious circumstances may be investigated by the local authorities in the country of incident, so the timeline for repatriation will be longer pending investigation results and release of the deceased for repatriation,” noted Greenwood.

While some countries bar cremation, others may not meet rigorous embalming standards. “Rules and regulations of the country where the person passed away need to be adhered to, as do rules and regulations of the country of repatriation,” said Greenwood.

“Embalming standards vary globally. Some countries will only apply superficial embalming. This can have a huge impact if families wish to view their loved one upon arrival in the country of final destination,” she pointed out.

Different challenges

Homeland International also supports project workers on construction sites worldwide and especially across Africa, where cases frequently involve liaison with the employer, which may hold essential documentation in the absence of relatives in the country of death. In such cases, funeral service providers must work closely with the employer to ensure that paperwork is not unnecessarily duplicated, Tester said. While companies employing expatriate workers will likely have worst-case contingency plans in place, unexpected deaths among holidaymakers pose a different set of challenges for funeral service providers.

There is a vast difference between expats and those facing an overseas death whilst on holiday

“There is a vast difference between expats and those facing an overseas death whilst on holiday,” Tester said. “Often tourists will not leave their resort, sometimes even their hotel, but when faced with a death are suddenly required to travel to a local town to complete paperwork, to identify the deceased person or to register the death. This can add yet more challenges to an already traumatic experience, particularly in locations where safety and conditions may be compromised when outside of the hotel resort.

“The same can be said for deaths onboard of cruise ships,” he continued. “The person who has died will be  transported from the boat at the next port, and then to a mortuary in the city centre, with an additional impact on an already emotionally charged situation.”

Cases are in general handled similarly, Connors said. He agreed, though, that some cases can require more careful management than others.

“There are different scenarios that require some adjustment,” he said. “Unplanned deaths and tragic events require us to be a little more sensitive because the families tend to be more in shock and need some specific care just for that.”

Communication is key

As always, communication and cooperation between all involved parties – funeral service companies, insurers, embassies and consulates, and bereaved relatives – is central to the process, as Connors emphasised.

“Cooperating with insurers all comes down to setting expectations and communication. As long as we have excellent communication, the cases seem to go well,” he said.

“Constantly updating insurers and clients with a time frame detailing when the deceased will be picked up, how long the documentation will take, and when the embassy will issue their approvals, are all important parts of this communication. Communication is key and is the foundation of any case going as smoothly and efficiently as possible,” he concluded.

That can be problematic, Tester cautioned, especially in a fluid, fast-changing international environment. “Travel insurers and assistance companies partner with repatriation companies for our global expertise, decades of experience and our international provider networks,” he said.

“For effective cooperation it is important that both parties work in tandem. We are increasingly seeing incorrect information shared with families, which can pose difficulty for the repatriation case, such as allowing families to travel home with the deceased person’s passport. It is important that insurers allow the repatriation company to answer these questions; we need to be seen as an extension of the support the insurer has already provided. Providing conflicting information can sometimes give the families concern with who to trust.

“Like with anything else in the assistance sector, particularly with the sudden changes to local situations around the world at the present, it is important that insurers understand that just because something was possible last week, it does not mean it will be possible the week after,” Tester concluded. “Particularly in conflict areas, every repatriation case must be managed on a case-by-case basis.”