Tiffany Ellis, 28, has indefinite leave to remain in the UK, where she has lived since the age of eight. She gave birth to Xien Ellis on April 30 last year in Jamaica and has been trying to return to the UK ever since. In a letter refusing the baby’s visa application, Home Office officials say the decision is “justified by the need to maintain effective immigration and border control” and will not have “unreasonably harsh consequences”. They add that the baby’s life can go on as he is now in Jamaica with financial support from his mother in the UK. The Ministry of Home Affairs rejected Xien’s visa application on December 22, when he was almost eight months old. Tiffany’s husband Zarren Ellis, 38, and the couple’s eldest daughter Xianna Ellis, five, are at the family home in London, desperate to be reunited with Tiffany and Xien. Tiffany and Zarren traveled from their home in London to Jamaica in January 2020 to tie the knot, accompanied by Xianna. While the couple were waiting for their wedding papers to go through, Covid broke out and they had to stay in Jamaica as many parts of the world were on lockdown. They finally managed to get married on the island in August 2020. In September 2020, Tiffany became pregnant and suffered from constant vomiting – hyperemesis gravidarum – so severe that she could not leave the house. She hoped the condition would subside after the first trimester and booked a return flight to the UK for January 2021. But her condition worsened and she had to remain in Jamaica until she gave birth. Last December, Zarren and Xianna moved back to London so Xianna could go to school. They had no choice but to leave Tiffany and Xien in Jamaica due to a visa refusal by the Home Office. “Not a day goes by that I don’t cry about it,” Tiffany said. “My husband is my rock and holds everything together. The whole situation is so heartbreaking. How can I explain this to my daughter? She thinks I’ve abandoned her. I’ve never been broken up before. Xien tries to hug his dad on the screen when we video call. I just want to get Xien home before his health deteriorates.” Zarren Ellis with daughter Xianna Ellis, five, who believes her mother has ‘abandoned her’. Photo: provided Tiffany, her husband and daughter are all devastated by the Home Office’s refusal to allow the baby to come to the UK. Tiffany is particularly concerned because Xien has a kidney condition and special pediatric treatment for this condition is not available in Jamaica. The family’s MP, Sarah Jones, MP for Croydon Central, said: “The Home Office’s treatment of my constituent and her sick child was completely unacceptable. After I made their case, the Home Office took almost four months to respond, after I chased them several times.’ Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST Karen Doyle, of the Movement for Justice, which supports the family, said: “This case highlights the occasional cruelty of the Home Office.” Home Office sources said the documents they requested were sent in an unreadable format. A spokesman said: “Following further evidence coming to light, we have agreed to review this application in May. We await additional information and once we receive it, we will carefully consider the application.”
