What were the rights and obligations of civilian internees in hostile countries and occupied territories? example Germans from the SS Columbus

[sbthorp]

I am referring to enemy nationals in hostile countries that have just gone to war or been overrun. This could include diplomats, journalists, ex-pats or employees of international corporations. Who were entitled to repatriation and how was that arranged? I have read some about western internees of the Japanese in the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies but little about what happened in the western countries outside of the Channel Islands (there are some good sources on that area).

[randall.case]

I know that some, Germans, Italians, and Japanese, were rounded up in the Philippines. The Japanese released them after Manila was captured. One interesting fact- MacArthur refused to allow US forces permission to confiscate the assets of Japanese businesses in the Philippines. That included a significant stockpile of food that would have been very helpful on Bataan during the siege.