Sanctuary

A parishioner involved with refugees asked the other day if the laws in relation to "Sanctuary" still prevailed. I am not sure if they ever did in Australia. And in fact I wonder if Magna Carta p ended all that in the 13th century.
The idea nevertheless is intriguing. With many refugees in our community can they turn to the Church for refuge, and will governments respect the sanctuary of church...whether physical or moral. I think the answer is no! (on both counts).
The church is not a particularly safe place for those in need or for those seeking refuge. It is fairly impotent, and in some ways proactively dangerous. Government has got our number. It is easy to discredit any outspoken voice when the community does not want to hear it. It is easy to ignore the voice of conscience when the conscience is stained. It is easy to point to disunity and disagreement when so much of the church seems like the most right wing extremity of government.
This is a sadness to me.
What is also a sadness is the stories that I hear, which I intend to pursue that:

• Refugees who appeal to the Department of Immigration are being hit with enormous court costs...one law for the rich prevails again
• The scandalous rumour that former residents of refugee detention facilities are now being billed for accommodation cost while they were resident there.

If these (and other) stories are true then what does this say about the oft-trumpeted myth of "fair go" which is heard from the lips of our PM and his team. It doesn't sound like a fair go to me. It sounds like the rich grinding the faces of the poorest of the poor with the heel of their boot.
Forgive me if I suggest that this sounds exactly like what the Hebrew prophets were asked by God to condemn.

God help Australia in the face of such lack of compassion