User:Miaecampbell/sandbox

Notes from sources:

History (Traditions of Sanctuary)


 * Sanctuary and asylum derived from basic human altruism; existed for thousands of years, though not necessarily codified into religious texts and/or laws until much later
 * In "honor" cultures, sanctuary is considered to be one of several central virtues; sanctuary, hospitality, protection of women
 * Bedouin idea of nazaala, the "taking of refuge"
 * Book of Numbers and Deuteronomy in the Old Testament: “cities of refuge” for manslayers
 * six cities of refuge on the Jordan River
 * In the Egyptian Pharaonic tradition, sanctuaries were centered around sites used to worship a specific god
 * In these sacred spaces, protective powers are derived directly from deities
 * Sanctuary as a concept in the Americas among native tribes; invocation of sanctuary especially during invasion by European powers

The place of sanctuary in society/distinction between sanctuary and asylum


 * In many cases, sanctuary is "not incorporated into the law to limit the law but operated in bold defiance of the law"
 * The effort to create sanctuary for the persecuted or oppressed, though in some ways traditional and rather universal, is often undertaken by organizations, religious or otherwise, who try to work outside of mainstream avenues in support of vulnerable populations
 * “Sanctuary bills” or other local and regional policies can be seen as “activist law” in recognition of their progressiveness and boldness in the face of perceived injustice
 * a form of moral and ethical activism that calls into question the decisions made by the institutions in power

** I plan to add one subsection to the sanctuary article which discusses the history/traditions of sanctuary that have existed in societies other than Greece and Rome (which were talked about fairly extensively in the article, and are perhaps over-represented), and edit the section about sanctuary in "modern times" to focus less on specific incidents of sanctuary and more about the way that sanctuary functions in society as a form of moral/ethical activism. **New text that I plan to add is in italics.


 * The US government does not provide lawyers for indigent asylum applicants who face possible deportation -->
 * Thus asylum has become a lottery, known as “refugee roulette,” seemingly designed to make sanctuary least available to the vulnerable people who need it most

Sanctuary in contemporary society
See also: Sanctuary movement

''For the last few centuries, it has become less common to invoke sanctuary as a means of protecting persecuted peoples. Yet, the 1980s saw a massive resurgence of cases as part of the U.S.-Central American sanctuary movement.'' This resurgence was part of a broader anti-war movement that emerged to protest U.S. foreign policy in Central America. ''The movement grew out of the sanctuary practices of political and religious organizations in both the United States and Central America. It was initially sparked by immigrant rights organizations in well-established Central American communities. These organizations first opposed U.S. foreign policy in Central America and then shifted towards aiding an ever-increasing number of Central Americans refugees. Working in tandem, immigrant rights organizations and churches created many new organizations that provided housing and legal services for newly arrived immigrants. These organizations also advocated for the creation of sanctuary spaces for those fleeing war and oppression in their home countries.'' By 1987, 440 cities in the United States had been declared "sanctuary cities" open to migrants from civil wars in Central America.

''The immigrant-religious organization partnerships of the sanctuary movement remain active, providing essential services to immigrant populations. Particularly notable in recent years is their legal and advocacy work. By providing legal representation to asylum seekers who may not be able to afford it, these organizations give their clients a better chance of winning their respective cases. As of 2008, detained asylum seekers with legal representation were six times more likely to win their cases for asylum, and non-detained asylum seekers with representation were almost three times more likely to win asylum compared with those without it. The pro bono legal services provided by these organizations also work to alleviate stress on an adjudication system that is already overloaded with cases-- a 2014 study of the system showed that about 250 asylum officers at any one time are tasked with interviewing an average of 28,000 asylum seekers. These sanctuary-based organizations also engage in larger-scale advocacy work that allows them to reach immigrant populations beyond the communities they work in. According to a study done by the "New Sanctuary Movement" organization, at least 600,000 people in the United States have at least one family member in danger of deportation. Legislative and judicial advocacy work at the regional and even national level allows organizations to support this group of people by influencing policy.''

Europe, Australia and Canada have also seen several instances of immigrant rights organizations and churches providing sanctuary to migrants facing deportation since the 1980s. This has happened in Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland, among other nations. In 2007, Iranian refugee Shahla Valadi was granted asylum in Norway after spending seven years in church sanctuary after the initial denial of asylum. From 1983 to 2003 Canada experienced 36 sanctuary incidents. In 2016, an Icelandic church declared that they would harbour two failed asylum seekers who violated the Dublin Regulation, and police removed them for deportation, as ecclesiastical immunity has no legal standing.

Sanctuary versus Asylum
''The concepts of sanctuary and asylum are defined very similarly at their most basic level. Both terms involve the granting of safety or protection from some type of danger, often implied to be a persecuting, oppressive power. The divergence between these terms stems primarily from their societal associations and legal standing; while asylum understood in its political sense implies legally-binding protection on the part of a state entity, sanctuary often takes the form of moral and ethical activism that calls into question decisions made by the institutions in power.''

''In many instances, sanctuary is not incorporated into the law, but operated in defiance of it. Efforts to create sanctuary for the persecuted or oppressed are often undertaken by organizations, religious or otherwise, who work outside of mainstream avenues to ameliorate what they see as deficiencies in existing policy. Though these attempts to provide sanctuary have no legal standing, they can be effective in catalyzing change at community, local, and even regional levels. Sanctuary can also be integrated into these levels of government through "Sanctuary bills," which designate cities and sometimes states as safe spaces for immigrants deemed "illegal" by the federal government. These bills work to limit the cooperation of local and regional governments with the national government's efforts to enforce immigration law. In recognition of their progressiveness and boldness in the face of perceived injustice, "Sanctuary bills" are commonly referred to as "activist law."''

Traditions of Sanctuary
''Although the word "sanctuary" is often traced back only as far as the Greek and Roman empires, the concept itself has likely been part of human cultures for thousands of years. The idea that persecuted persons should be given a place of refuge is ancient, perhaps even primordial, deriving itself from basic features of human altruism. In studying the concept across many cultures and times, anthropologists have found sanctuary to be a highly universal notion, one which appears in almost all major religious traditions and in a variety of diverse geographies. "Cities of refuge" as described by the Book of Numbers and Deuteronomy in the Old Testament, as well as the Bedouin idea of nazaala, or the "taking of refuge," indicate a strong tradition of sanctuary in the Middle East and Northern Africa. In the Americas, many native tribes shared similar practices, particularly in the face of invading European powers. Despite tensions between groups, many tribes still offered and received sanctuary, taking in those who had fled their tribal lands or feared persecution by the Spanish, English, and French.''