Parents Urge Home Office to Reunite Daughter After Hurricane

Published: 07 November 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

A distraught couple in north London are urgently appealing to the Home Office to expedite a visa decision that would allow their eight-year-old daughter, Lati-Yana Stephanie Brown, to join them in the UK after Hurricane Melissa devastated her home in Jamaica. The category 5 storm, which struck the island on 28 October, left tens of thousands homeless and claimed at least 28 lives, causing widespread destruction in Hanover and other affected regions.

Lati-Yana is currently living under dire conditions with her grandmother in Cash Hill, Hanover, one of the worst-hit areas of the island. With her family home completely destroyed, she is forced to share a single room with 15 other people, struggling to access food, water, and basic necessities. Schooling has been disrupted, phone connectivity is limited, and the uncertainty of her situation has left her family desperate for urgent intervention.

Her father, Jerome Hardy, a telecommunications worker, explained the gravity of the situation: “We are just waiting for a decision from the Home Office in the hope that we can jump on a plane to Kingston, rescue our daughter, and bring her to safety in the UK. The home in Cash Hill has been completely destroyed, and Lati-Yana is living in extremely cramped conditions with limited access to food and water.”

Hardy’s wife, Kerrian Bigby, a care worker who had recently joined him in the UK in April 2023, added: “I am so distressed, I can’t eat or sleep. Every time I think about Lati-Yana struggling to get food, it overwhelms me. I haven’t managed to speak to her since the hurricane, but before it hit, she understood the danger. She said, ‘Mummy, if we survive the storm you will hear from us but if we don’t then take care of yourselves.’ Now she is alone, and we are desperate to bring her home.”

The family has been preparing for their daughter’s move to the UK for months, saving for the visa application fee of more than £4,000. They submitted the application in June 2025, well in advance, but are still waiting for the Home Office to make a decision. With Hurricane Melissa causing sudden displacement, the situation has escalated from a waiting period to an emergency, prompting legal intervention and support from local authorities.

Naga Kandiah of MTC Solicitors, representing the family, emphasized the urgency: “An eight-year-old girl has been separated from her parents not by choice but because her family needed time to save the exceptionally high fees required by the Home Office. They worked tirelessly, followed every rule, and fulfilled every requirement, yet their child has been left thousands of miles away, waiting for safety and the comfort of her parents’ arms. Overnight, she went from a child waiting to be reunited with her parents to a child with no shelter, no security, and no certainty about tomorrow. She is facing this devastation alone.”

The scale of Hurricane Melissa’s destruction underscores the urgency of the family’s appeal. More than 70% of the island remained without electricity in the days following the storm, and approximately 6,000 people were still residing in emergency shelters, according to local rescue services. Cash Hill, where Lati-Yana and her grandmother are staying, suffered extensive structural damage, leaving families without homes, water, or reliable access to food.

Local MP Dawn Butler, who has been supporting the family, has called on the Home Office to prioritize the case. She said: “This is a matter of child safety and welfare. The Home Office must act swiftly to ensure that Lati-Yana is reunited with her parents. The situation in Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa is dire, and every day counts. A child should never have to endure such hardship alone when her parents are waiting and able to provide care in the UK.”

The Home Office has issued a statement regarding the visa application process: “All visa applications are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with the Immigration Rules.” While this standard process ensures fairness and compliance, in cases involving extreme circumstances such as natural disasters and child welfare, families and legal representatives argue that urgent intervention is justified.

Hurricane Melissa, which reached category 5 intensity, has been described as one of the most destructive storms in recent Jamaican history. Entire neighbourhoods were flooded, roofs were torn off homes, and infrastructure including roads, schools, and hospitals suffered severe damage. Relief agencies have been working around the clock, but the scale of the devastation has meant that thousands remain displaced and in precarious living conditions, particularly children like Lati-Yana.

Hardy and Bigby have expressed profound frustration at the separation from their daughter. “We have done everything required to comply with the visa process,” Hardy said. “We submitted all documents, paid the fees, and met every requirement. Yet now, in the middle of a crisis, our child is alone and vulnerable. The Home Office must understand the human dimension of these rules. This isn’t bureaucracy—it’s a child’s life.”

Bigby shared poignant memories of speaking to her daughter before the hurricane hit: “Lati-Yana knew the storm was dangerous. She tried to reassure me with her words, showing bravery beyond her years. I am pleading with the Home Office—please grant her visa and bring her home. She is eight years old, and she needs her parents.”

Legal representatives have urged the Home Office to consider humanitarian factors and the immediate risks posed by displacement, food insecurity, and lack of shelter. Kandiah stressed: “Time is critical. Every day that passes increases the risk to Lati-Yana’s safety, mental health, and well-being. She is already facing trauma from the hurricane and the loss of her home. Reuniting her with her parents in the UK is not just a matter of law—it is a moral imperative.”

The UK government has a history of processing urgent family reunion cases for children in exceptional circumstances. Advocates argue that natural disaster displacement, coupled with prolonged separation from parents, constitutes such a circumstance. With Hurricane Melissa’s impact ongoing, the family’s appeal is receiving growing attention from both humanitarian groups and the media.

The case has also drawn attention to broader questions regarding immigration processes and the financial burdens families face. With visa application fees exceeding £4,000 and additional costs for documentation and legal assistance, many families experience significant delays in securing reunification, even in situations where child welfare is at stake. Critics argue that expedited processing should be standard in cases involving children separated by natural disasters.

Hardy and Bigby remain committed to doing everything possible to ensure their daughter’s safe return. “All we want is to bring Lati-Yana home,” Hardy said. “She has suffered enough already. The Home Office has the power to make a difference. We are asking them to act immediately before any further harm comes to our child.”

As the situation develops, attention is focused on both the Home Office and UK diplomatic channels in Jamaica, who may coordinate to facilitate the family’s reunion. With widespread devastation in Hanover, coupled with limited local resources, the urgency of bringing Lati-Yana to safety cannot be overstated.

For Lati-Yana, the impact of Hurricane Melissa extends beyond physical destruction. Psychologists and child welfare experts warn that children displaced by natural disasters are at heightened risk of trauma, anxiety, and long-term emotional distress. Being reunited with her parents in a stable environment in London is seen as critical to mitigating these risks and providing the emotional and psychological support she urgently needs.

This case highlights the intersection of natural disaster response, child welfare, and immigration policy. It underscores the human cost when bureaucratic processes collide with urgent humanitarian need. Advocates are urging the Home Office to take swift action, emphasizing that policy compliance must be balanced with immediate moral responsibility.

The Brown-Hardy family remains hopeful that intervention from legal representatives, their MP, and public support will result in a decision allowing their daughter to travel to the UK imminently. As the humanitarian crisis continues in Jamaica, the eyes of their community—and potentially the nation—remain fixed on the Home Office’s response, awaiting the safe reunion of a young child with her loving parents.