Shortly after the end of the Second World War, displaced persons were seen as a problem to be solved only by repatriation, namely sending them back to their homelands. It was hoped that by the end of the war the majority of DPs would return home and repatriation could be carried out without using force. Repatriation directly affected the definition of citizenship – based on decisions at the Yalta Conference, it was found that citizens of the Baltic States were now citizens of the Soviet Union who needed to be sent back, and if they would not go voluntarily, then they should be forced to go.

The first forced repatriations were carried out in the spring of 1945, which culminated in the use of physical force, suicide attempts and suicides, as shown by Ukrainian and Belorussian statistics from the Kempten camp. There was also forced repatriation among Estonians, in particular in the US zones in Germany and Austria. In November 1945, military governments of three zones did not recognise the occupation of the Baltic States by the Soviet Union, and therefor Baltic citizens were not considered citizens of the USSR. The UNRRA, not the military authorities, conducted forced repatriation of Baltic DPs. This occurred despite the fact that according the two powers agreement, the UNRRA should have assisted the military repatriation, but could not send anyone home, even forcibly. However, the activities of the UNRRA were based in particular on political interests, and the UNRRA allowed unhindered visits from Soviet Union repatriation teams to Baltic DP camps, creating propaganda for repatriation as well as forced repatriation. In summary, the fate of Estonians, like with other Balts was dependant on the concrete political views of camp officials and the knowledge of Baltic history.

The number of Estonians that returned from Germany to Estonia was estimated between 700–800 by international DP organisations: during the UNRRA administration 479 people or 1.5% of the total number were repatriated, in the subsequent period, primarily during IRO activities, 256 Estonians were repatriated. However, according to Soviet statistics, slightly more than 7200 Estonians were repatriated from Germany.