Scott Tyler of Winnipeg doesn't know anyone in England, and hasn't been to the country since his parents moved to Canada when he was six months old.
Though he knew he was a landed immigrant, Tyler never thought he needed to obtain Canadian citizenship to stay in the country. For years he worked as a truck driver and paid income taxes just like his neighbours.
"As far as I was concerned, I was Canadian," he said this week. "It didn't really hit me until I got [a letter] from Immigration Canada, and they said they had grounds to deport me."
In 1999, Tyler became a drug addict. Two years later, he was arrested and convicted of possession and trafficking cocaine. He spent three months in jail.
Because of that conviction, he's being deported back to England.
Tyler admits he made mistakes, but he said he's been living a clean life for the past six years and he should be allowed to stay in Canada.
"They've changed the laws that any violent crime whatsoever is deportation," he said. "What I don't understand about all of this is how is possession of a narcotic considered to be a violent crime? Why do they think I'm a danger to society?"
Officials with Immigration Canada say they cannot comment on this specific case, but spokesperson John Nychek said the government does take drug offences seriously.
"I am not sure I think one should look at it as 'just' being a drug trafficking conviction," he said.
Tyler has exhausted all his options to appeal his case, short of winning an intervention from Immigration Minister Joe Volpe.
Since he's out of work, he says he can't afford a lawyer to try to delay the deportation.
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