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The Canadian government, meanwhile, says Utah’s criminal history — including his involvement in an Australian murder case and Canadian fraud charges that were later withdrawn — demanded a thorough investigation before his refugee claim could be allowed to proceed.

“Nothing will ever feel like home to me,” Utah told the National Post in an interview. “It’s left a very sour taste in my mouth.”

To try to understand the mystery of the first Australian refugee, the Post reviewed the decision from the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) granting Utah protection, as well as Utah’s statement of claim in his Federal Court lawsuit and the government’s defence. Together, the documents shed light on the violence that brought Utah to Canada, the danger that convinced a refugee judge to let him stay, the concerns border officials had about his criminal history and the efforts they made to send him back.

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According to a 2008 book about Utah co-authored by Duncan McNab, a former Australian policeman and private investigator who spoke at his refugee hearing, Utah hails from the southeastern state of Victoria and served as a soldier in the Australian Army from 1985 to 1992. Utah first encountered the Australian national president of the Bandidos outlaw motorcycle club in the mid-1990s, McNab told the Post, and though Utah never became a full member of the gang, McNab said the connection would later give Utah “remarkable access” as an informant.