Are churches above the law?

[village_person]

Peter Dutton warns churches over sanctuary to asylum seekers

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has warned churches and cathedrals offering “sanctuary” to asylum-seekers facing deportation to Nauru that the government expects them to obey the law “no matter who you are”.

As reported in The Australian today, more than 10 churches across Australia have today begun offering to shield asylum-seekers under the ancient Christian tradition that people fleeing unjust civil authorities can reside permanently inside a church.

With a series of rallies scheduled to commence starting today at 12.30pm in Sydney, Mr Dutton said the churches would receive no special exemptions from the law.

“Churches provide a lot of assistance to refugees and they feel very strongly about these issues, I understand that. In the end people have to abide by Australian law, no matter who you are,” Mr Dutton told Sydney’s 2GB radio.

[...]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/peter-dutton-warns-churches-over-sanctuary-to-asylu...

It would seem that theomania is rampant in Dr Peter Catt's house of worship.

[moonflyte]

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@debra9275 wrote:

nah it's not just about refugees djikjilly- it's  also about the elderly being burden on society. the disabled, the unemployed etc etc. a so called 

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Huh? I must have missed that topic completely.

[bluecat*dancing]

Meanwhile, in the real world....

[moonflyte]

The thing is, under Labor there was new detention facilities built costing billions, thousands of people in detention and countless thousands let into the community because Labor couldn't cope.

What we are left with now is the intransigent couple of hundred who refuse to return, refuse to integrate into the Nauru community. They want Australia, that's what they paid for and they'll stop at nothing to get it.

If the government fold on these few the word will then spread out into the people smuggling racketeers and it will start all over again. 

A point that is deliberately ignored by many. I notice that Labor have kept very quiet on this, not a word.

[debra9275]

It just goes to show how divisive this question of refugees is, when it pits Churches against Government,  Australians against Australians, it's almost like a civil war.

it's our own current govt. that has pitched Australians against Australians

@debra9275 wrote:

 it's not just about refugees djikjilly- it's  also about the elderly being burden on society. the disabled, the unemployed etc etc

@djilukjilly wrote:

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@debra9275 wrote:

nah it's not just about refugees djikjilly- it's  also about the elderly being burden on society. the disabled, the unemployed etc etc. a so called 

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Huh? I must have missed that topic completely.

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not surprised  

[***super_nova***]

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@djilukjilly wrote:

It started when Australians were faced with unfettered refugees pouring into the country  sabotaging vessel's and burning documents.

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LOL people were always coming to Australia from other countries.  There are many people living here now whose fathers or grandfathers were sailors who "jumped the ship".  There were always to some extent people coming down from Indonesia.  People escaping Vietnam and Cambodia came in numbers many times higher that what were the numbers under Labor, it was happening under Frazer, it was also happening under Howard. 

And no, we can never be in the same situation as Europe, we are thousands of km away from Middle East, there is an ocean between us and Indonesia, while the distance across the sea in Europe is considerably smaller.  Then there is a somewhat difference walking across Europe and walking from Darwin South/East.

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@djilukjilly wrote:

Another reason some illegal refugees are in detention for longer periods  is they are not genuine and they will not go home, they prefer to sit it out hoping for a change of policy.

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If they are not recognised as refugees they can be deported.  That means that they are removed against their will.  "Sitting it out "  hoping for change of policy does not come into it

[moonflyte]

Uh OK. I thought we were discussing the current situation with illegal immigrants and illegal immigration., not historic matters over 200 years ago.

[icyfroth]

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djilukjilly wrote:

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debra9275 wrote:

nah it's not just about refugees djikjilly- it's  also about the elderly being burden on society. the disabled, the unemployed etc etc. a so called 

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Huh? I must have missed that topic completely.

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Apparently so, Jilly 

a time-honoured ploy is the introduction of unrelated material to drag a thread off-topic.

[icyfroth]

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***super_nova*** wrote:

If they are not recognised as refugees they can be deported.  That means that they are removed against their will.  "Sitting it out "  hoping for change of policy does not come into it

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True, but they can mount appeal after appeal that can delay deportation for many years, aided and abetted by certain NGO enablers.

[bluecat*dancing]

The refugees and asylum seekers were transported to Australia for various reasons eg to give birth, cancer treatment, treatment of bullet wounds and other war injuries, rape and sexual assault victims. and other medical procedures.

This High Court ruling was the catalyst for Churches, and others, to offer sanctuary.

What bothers me is that the politicians can rush through retrospective legislation so that they can win a court case. It was this legislation that High Court had to base their ruling on. This new law made offshore detention legal but the Court did rule that indefinite detention was not, however, they stopped short of giving a suitable time frame.There were other things that were considered to be dubious, as well.

[***super_nova***]

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@icyfroth wrote:

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@***super_nova*** wrote:

If they are not recognised as refugees they can be deported.  That means that they are removed against their will.  "Sitting it out "  hoping for change of policy does not come into it

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True, but they can mount appeal after appeal that can delay deportation for many years, aided and abetted by certain NGO enablers.

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That is not true either.  There was a time when there were several possibilities for appeals, but that has all changed years ago, and as the lawyers are in most cases even unable to speak with their clients people are being shipped back.  Some of them to their death. 

Australia should be ashamed.  This is a humanitarian disaster and we should be all trying to help, instead people are doing their utmost to think of reasons why not to help, and how to demonise the people who lost everything; often members of their family.

Lebanon that has only  population of 4.5million has over million refugees and more to come.  That is a quarter of their population!  That is like if we had here 5 million people coming on boats.  And we, considerably richer country, are making the few thousand people in our concentration camps into enormous problem.