I’d like to know both the figures and source of the data for the
following:

How many human deaths require repatriation to the UK from abroad?
(inbound)
How many human deaths require repatriation from the UK to another
country? (outbound)

The answer would ideally be broken down by number of deaths per
country.

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Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 24 Jul 2003 11:51 PDT

I'm having difficulty understanding your question. Could you please
rephrase it so that we can be certain we're looking for the right kind
of information?

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Clarification of Question by mequestion-ga on 24 Jul 2003 14:02 PDT

Thank you coming back to me – heres some clarification:

First part of the Question:

Each year a number of UK citizens die whilst abroad (outside the UK) –
for example they could be UK holidaymakers in Spain, UK people working
abroad or UK ex-pats who have bought retirement homes abroad etc.

However, as they are UK citizens some may have stipulated in their
‘Last Will and Testament’ that they must be buried in the UK. Or
alternatively, it may be the case that their family may wish to bring
the body back home to the UK for burial etc.

So the first part of the question is  - how many deceased UK citizens
(bodies or coffins) are repatriated (or brought back home) to be
buried, cremated etc in the UK each year.


Second part of the Question:

Each year a number of Non UK citizens die whilst in the UK. – they may
be in the UK on holiday or working in the UK etc.

So the second part of the question is – How many bodies or coffins are
repatriated (sent abroad from the UK) back to other countries each
year.


I suspect that the answer may be available in part from several
sources:

UK Government Statistics (Deaths Register?)
Federation of Funeral Directors or similar if there is one
British Embassies Abroad may have details
UK Aircraft Freight Information - ie: shipping of coffins
Insurance agents
There are also some specialised companies that deal in repatriation
such as: http://www.memorialcentre.co.uk/page21.html and
http://www.uk-funerals.co.uk/repatriation.htm

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Clarification of Question by mequestion-ga on 24 Jul 2003 14:21 PDT

Thanks TravelDog - 

Yes your clarification was perfect. - Its the number of UK inbound and
outbound coffins that I'm after and not the number of UK citizens that
just die abroad - as some might be buried abroad.

So the Question is:

How many coffins with human contents are shipped into the UK each year
and where do they come from.

How many coffins with human contents are shipped out of the UK each
year - and where do they go to.

Repatriation per se or by country?

I'd take either answer - but per country would be best.

356 in 2002 requiring air transport

Hmmm .. 'Spinningtop'(sounds like someone I might know?)

Where did you get this figure from?

My interest in this question arises out of the fact that I am
currently completing work on my doctoral thesis. This is considering
familial dynamics and stress which arise from unexpected deaths. Some
individuals taking part in my research were individuals whose
relatives were killed in bomb attacks abroad. They mentioned the
problems thay had with the airline and their funeral directors surpise
thatthis had been so when they had the figures of 326 shipped by air
transport in 2002. The 'spinning top' password was chosen for me by my
son.

This information is difficult to obtain as it comes from so many
sources. Key areas. Foreign and Commonwealth Ofice,Police,Coroners
Office,Airlines,Central Registry of deaths,Customs and excise. There
are also a few specialist funeral directors which deal with this.
Often bodies are not shipped as they are cremated in the countries in
which they died. This means ashes maybe the transporting medium which
is often not recorded as the formalities have been dealt with abroad.
Of all of these the consuls have the most information to hand. Hope
this forwards your search although it is not an answer.