A British overseas territory citizen from Montserrat has been left homeless and denied free NHS care after travelling to the UK for medical treatment, prompting accusations of a 'stark injustice' against the British government.
Cherry Brown, 69, was found sleeping rough in a park in Swanley, Kent, in April. She had been funded by the Montserratian government—whose budget is largely subsidised by the UK—to travel to England for NHS treatment unavailable on the Caribbean island. However, upon arrival, she was told she did not qualify for free healthcare or housing due to her status as a British overseas territory (BOT) citizen.
Brown suffers from hypertension and requires two knee replacements. She said, 'I became ill, can’t manage work any more … then, I’m sleeping in a park. I am homeless. I just can’t understand it. Travelling on a passport that’s British.' Ryan Hayman, chief executive of Swanley town council, paid for temporary accommodation but noted that Brown began receiving NHS bills for her care.
Montserrat MP and former premier Donaldson Romeo has travelled to the UK to negotiate assistance for Brown and another Montserratian, Robert Baker. In a letter to the Foreign Office, Romeo drew parallels to the Windrush scandal, criticising the government for subsidising asylum seekers while refusing support to BOT citizens. He argued that the arrangement for overseas citizens to receive NHS treatment fails to account for Montserrat's devastated health infrastructure following the 1995 volcanic eruption.
The Home Office reportedly offered to wipe Brown's NHS debts if she voluntarily returned to Montserrat, but that would leave her without necessary care. Brown said, 'If I had known all of these things [would happen to me], I would have stayed home and died in my bed in peace.'
