Final answer:
Due to complex post-WWII repatriation policies and displacement, POWs like Vladek could not be easily released home. The Geneva Convention dictated return to the home country, but operations like Keelhaul led to forced and often dire returns, exacerbated by geopolitical turmoil and ethical dilemmas.
Step-by-step explanation:
Vladek, a character from a historical context, doesn't get released home after his stint as a POW due to the complex repatriation policies post-World War II. The Geneva Convention required all foreign POWs to be returned to their own country, but the process was complicated by the massive dislocation of peoples and geopolitical considerations. For example, the Soviet Union demanded the return of all its citizens, which led to the controversial Operation Keelhaul, resulting in forced repatriation and often harsh fates for those being returned. Moreover, widespread displacement and population shifts, including the forced movement of ethnic Germans and the reluctance to repatriate Jewish Holocaust survivors, created a chaotic situation that made straightforward repatriation impossible for many individuals.
Instances of resistance and personal anecdotes involving characters such as Stalin's son Yakov, who was the subject of a proposed prisoner exchange but perished instead, and the humanitarian efforts of people like Oskar Schindler and Irena Sendler, illustrate the dire circumstances of wartime Europe and the moral complexities faced by both individuals and nations.