When I was stationed in Germany some of my buddies and I went skiing at Ochsenkopf near Bayreuth. An elderly German man came up to us and asked if we were Americans. He then asked us what states we were from. He had been a POW in Iowa after surrendering in Africa. He told us he was sent to live with a family on their farm and he worked for them and only had to check in once a week at the police station.
There were POWs that either stayed in Iowa after the war, or returned there after being repatriated.
Wow. Only once a week.
I think these fellows worked but were under stricter rules.