Three weeks ago, Louena Tupa shared her story of how she and her husband, who live in Japan, decided in February to fly their then four-year-old daughter and five-month-old son to Tonga to keep them safe after a Covid-19 cluster broke out in their neighbourhood.
Tupa had planned to join her children a week later but flight after flight she booked got cancelled — and then the borders closed.
After speaking to Breakfast, she was put on a repatriation list by the Tongan government — but was still declined by Immigration NZ.