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After the Tampa: From Afghanistan to New Zealand
The heart-rending story of a child 'Tampa' refugee who grew up to become a Fulbright scholar, highlighting the plight and potential of refugees everywhere.
When the Taliban were at the height of their power in 2001, Abbas Nazari's parents were faced with a choice: stay and face persecution in their homeland, or seek security for their young children elsewhere.
The family's desperate search for safety took them on a harrowing journey from the mountains of Afghanistan to a small fishing boat in the Indian Ocean, crammed with more than 400 other asylum seekers.
When their boat started to sink, they were mercifully saved by a cargo ship, the Tampa. However, one of the largest maritime rescues in modern history quickly turned into an international stand-off, as Australia closed its doors to these asylum seekers.
The Tampa had waded into the middle of Australia's national election, sparking their hardline policy of offshore detention. While many of those rescued by the Tampa were the first inmates sent to the island of Nauru, Abbas and his family were some of the lucky few to be resettled in New Zealand.
Twenty years after the Tampa affair, Abbas tells his amazing story, from living under Taliban rule, to spending a terrifying month at sea, to building a new life at the bottom of the world.
A powerful and inspiring story for our times, After the Tampa celebrates the importance of never letting go of what drives the human spirit: hope.
When the Taliban were at the height of their power in 2001, Abbas Nazari's parents were faced with a choice: stay and face persecution in their homeland, or seek security for their young children elsewhere.
The family's desperate search for safety took them on a harrowing journey from the mountains of Afghanistan to a small fishing boat in the Indian Ocean, crammed with more than 400 other asylum seekers.
When their boat started to sink, they were mercifully saved by a cargo ship, the Tampa. However, one of the largest maritime rescues in modern history quickly turned into an international stand-off, as Australia closed its doors to these asylum seekers.
The Tampa had waded into the middle of Australia's national election, sparking their hardline policy of offshore detention. While many of those rescued by the Tampa were the first inmates sent to the island of Nauru, Abbas and his family were some of the lucky few to be resettled in New Zealand.
Twenty years after the Tampa affair, Abbas tells his amazing story, from living under Taliban rule, to spending a terrifying month at sea, to building a new life at the bottom of the world.
A powerful and inspiring story for our times, After the Tampa celebrates the importance of never letting go of what drives the human spirit: hope.
- GenresBook ClubNonfiction
368 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2021
7 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 28, 2024
Brilliant ! Brilliant is the word . This is not a story of about immigration, this is a story about survival, this is a story about HOPE!
This is a story about — an endless search for a better tomorrow.!
This is a story about — an endless search for a better tomorrow.!
October 11, 2022
Lots of 5 star reviews coming from me but this was another incredible book. Abbas Nazari shared his story in a really straightforward, conversational feeling way (u know when some books use words and talk about political stuff you can’t understand and you’re like 🙂🥴👍🏻 - it wasn’t like that). Really eye-opening on what refugees face in the world.
December 18, 2025
Enjoyed reading this book after hearing Abbas speak at a work conference recently.
May 13, 2025
After the Tampa is an emotional and eye-opening memoir that offers a powerful insight into the refugee experience. Abbas Nazari recounts his journey from fleeing the Taliban in Afghanistan as a child, to being rescued by the Norwegian cargo ship Tampa, and eventually resettling in New Zealand.
This book is more than just a personal story, it’s a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Nazari’s voice is honest and compelling, drawing readers into the harrowing uncertainty of life in limbo, and the hope that carried his family through. His reflections on identity, belonging, and what it means to start over are deeply moving.
Reading After the Tampa challenged me to confront the human cost of political decisions and global crises. It also reminded me of the strength and perseverance so many displaced people must summon to rebuild their lives.
This is an essential read for anyone seeking to better understand the refugee experience, and a celebration of what can be achieved when compassion triumphs over fear. Inspiring, courageous, and unforgettable.
This book is more than just a personal story, it’s a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Nazari’s voice is honest and compelling, drawing readers into the harrowing uncertainty of life in limbo, and the hope that carried his family through. His reflections on identity, belonging, and what it means to start over are deeply moving.
Reading After the Tampa challenged me to confront the human cost of political decisions and global crises. It also reminded me of the strength and perseverance so many displaced people must summon to rebuild their lives.
This is an essential read for anyone seeking to better understand the refugee experience, and a celebration of what can be achieved when compassion triumphs over fear. Inspiring, courageous, and unforgettable.
April 2, 2022
This is an eye-opening account of the reality of life for refugees forced to uproot their lives and abandon their homes, families, cultures, and countries. Read against the backdrop of the refugee crisis in Ukraine, this book brought home the stark reality of the perilous future awaiting most refugees.
Abbas Nazari was born in Afghanistan to a family from the Hazara ethnic minority. The Hazara people are persecuted and killed by the Taliban and as the Taliban took over control of the country in 2001, the family were forced to flee their home in Sungjoy. Abbas, his parents and his five siblings, the youngest only a baby, managed to cross the border into Pakistan, but with no future for them there they made their way to Indonesia where they lived in hiding as illegal immigrants.
Australia loomed like a beacon of hope - and the family spent the last of their savings to buy passage on a boat manned by people smugglers which would take them to the Australian-owned territory of Christmas Island where they would seek asylum. They had been promised a seaworthy ship but the boat that arrived to carry 438 people turned out to be an unseaworthy fishing boat that was not made to carry anywhere near that number of people. Desperation forced them onboard and they came close to dying when the ship began to break up in a storm.
The refugees were rescued by a Norwegian container ship, The Tampa, and ended up as political pawns used by an immoral, xenophobic Australian government determined to break all the international laws of the sea, and the common decency of humanity, to keep the refugees out of Australia and get themselves re-elected in the process.
Abbas and his family were some of the lucky 150 refugees who were taken in by New Zealand. The rest were interned on Nauru in refugee prison camps where they languished for years.
Abbas writes of their new life in Christchurch, New Zealand, the challenges and opportunities, and the terrible mass shooting of Muslim worshippers in the Al Noor mosque on March 15 2019. The whole family worked hard to seize the opportunities they had been given and were able to start their own business and buy their own home. He writes of bittersweet trips back to Afghanistan where the Taliban are systematically reversing all the progress that had been made for women, religious minorities, education, and religious freedom and choice.
Abbas went to university and after graduation won a Fulbright Scholarship for postgraduate study in the US. He was approached to write this book and did so doing lockdowns over there. This book really helped me understand the plight of refugees, and the situation in Afghanistan. I think everyone should read this book
Abbas Nazari was born in Afghanistan to a family from the Hazara ethnic minority. The Hazara people are persecuted and killed by the Taliban and as the Taliban took over control of the country in 2001, the family were forced to flee their home in Sungjoy. Abbas, his parents and his five siblings, the youngest only a baby, managed to cross the border into Pakistan, but with no future for them there they made their way to Indonesia where they lived in hiding as illegal immigrants.
Australia loomed like a beacon of hope - and the family spent the last of their savings to buy passage on a boat manned by people smugglers which would take them to the Australian-owned territory of Christmas Island where they would seek asylum. They had been promised a seaworthy ship but the boat that arrived to carry 438 people turned out to be an unseaworthy fishing boat that was not made to carry anywhere near that number of people. Desperation forced them onboard and they came close to dying when the ship began to break up in a storm.
The refugees were rescued by a Norwegian container ship, The Tampa, and ended up as political pawns used by an immoral, xenophobic Australian government determined to break all the international laws of the sea, and the common decency of humanity, to keep the refugees out of Australia and get themselves re-elected in the process.
Abbas and his family were some of the lucky 150 refugees who were taken in by New Zealand. The rest were interned on Nauru in refugee prison camps where they languished for years.
Abbas writes of their new life in Christchurch, New Zealand, the challenges and opportunities, and the terrible mass shooting of Muslim worshippers in the Al Noor mosque on March 15 2019. The whole family worked hard to seize the opportunities they had been given and were able to start their own business and buy their own home. He writes of bittersweet trips back to Afghanistan where the Taliban are systematically reversing all the progress that had been made for women, religious minorities, education, and religious freedom and choice.
Abbas went to university and after graduation won a Fulbright Scholarship for postgraduate study in the US. He was approached to write this book and did so doing lockdowns over there. This book really helped me understand the plight of refugees, and the situation in Afghanistan. I think everyone should read this book
July 18, 2025
To quote Helen Clark from the cover: “From child refugee to Fulbright scholar — this story is extraordinary” and boy did the book deliver just that.
This book is so relevant to everything is happening in America right now that I think everyone should pick this book up and read it and just realise that immigrants and refugees whether they come into your land through legal means or illegal means they truly doing it because it is the best option.
This memoir takes you on such an amazing journey through some horrific and horrible experiences that I couldn’t ever imagine ever having to go through let alone having to do so as a terrified seven year-old child. Nazari has such a wonderful way of taking these horrific moments and explaining them in a way where it’s not just straight up traumatic but also hopeful and balances the reality so perfectly that you understand the seriousness but also that there is hope to be found as well.
Travelling from Afghanistan to Aotearoa is a huge enough journey in normal circumstances. But having do so by traversing overground through some of the worst war zones, extreme environments and treacherous landscapes while doing so with limited financial and other resources, having left all you know behind in a home and country you will never reside in again. Not even a wedding ring is a luxury Nazari’s dad was able to hold onto, the symbolism of his love for his wife turned into something to pay off a bribe to allow passage through a border control. It’s just absolutely heartbreaking and when you read stories like this it’s so hard to imagine how humanity ended up here.
The personal touch hit me when I discover the Christchurch street they moved into was Ballantyne Ave - a street I lived on at the very same time as Abbas and his family did. Hearing him describe the alleyway, the local park, Church Corner made this so much more realistic for me.
Just this is such an essential read for anyone wanting to really learn what leads to a person to seek out asylum and that the stereotypes are so grossly egregious that we need to be better humans and relearn our humanity.
I’m so glad I took my time with this memoir to really let the journey sink in at every turn because it really deserves to be a story you truly sit with and feel. This is one of those book you have to put down after very chapter just so you can sit with it. It is one of those books that lives with you long after you put it down. The story contained in these pages is one that deserves that.
So I end this with what Abbas Nazari himself wants us to take away from his memoir because this is what rings true and is at the crux for every origin story for every refugee:
“IF THERE IS one thing I want you to take away from this book it is this. I want you to imagine being in a situation where the future — the very existence — of your family forces you to make an impossible choice. You have to choose whether to stay in the life you know and face misery upon misery, or leave and take a chance on the slightest sliver of unseen hope.
What would you do?”
This book is so relevant to everything is happening in America right now that I think everyone should pick this book up and read it and just realise that immigrants and refugees whether they come into your land through legal means or illegal means they truly doing it because it is the best option.
This memoir takes you on such an amazing journey through some horrific and horrible experiences that I couldn’t ever imagine ever having to go through let alone having to do so as a terrified seven year-old child. Nazari has such a wonderful way of taking these horrific moments and explaining them in a way where it’s not just straight up traumatic but also hopeful and balances the reality so perfectly that you understand the seriousness but also that there is hope to be found as well.
Travelling from Afghanistan to Aotearoa is a huge enough journey in normal circumstances. But having do so by traversing overground through some of the worst war zones, extreme environments and treacherous landscapes while doing so with limited financial and other resources, having left all you know behind in a home and country you will never reside in again. Not even a wedding ring is a luxury Nazari’s dad was able to hold onto, the symbolism of his love for his wife turned into something to pay off a bribe to allow passage through a border control. It’s just absolutely heartbreaking and when you read stories like this it’s so hard to imagine how humanity ended up here.
The personal touch hit me when I discover the Christchurch street they moved into was Ballantyne Ave - a street I lived on at the very same time as Abbas and his family did. Hearing him describe the alleyway, the local park, Church Corner made this so much more realistic for me.
Just this is such an essential read for anyone wanting to really learn what leads to a person to seek out asylum and that the stereotypes are so grossly egregious that we need to be better humans and relearn our humanity.
I’m so glad I took my time with this memoir to really let the journey sink in at every turn because it really deserves to be a story you truly sit with and feel. This is one of those book you have to put down after very chapter just so you can sit with it. It is one of those books that lives with you long after you put it down. The story contained in these pages is one that deserves that.
So I end this with what Abbas Nazari himself wants us to take away from his memoir because this is what rings true and is at the crux for every origin story for every refugee:
“IF THERE IS one thing I want you to take away from this book it is this. I want you to imagine being in a situation where the future — the very existence — of your family forces you to make an impossible choice. You have to choose whether to stay in the life you know and face misery upon misery, or leave and take a chance on the slightest sliver of unseen hope.
What would you do?”
October 24, 2022
A simply told, but very moving story of one family's escape from the horrors of Taliban ruled Afghanistan to the hope of their new home in New Zealand.
When Abbas was only a child, his family made the decision that they could no longer live safely in their homeland. It tells of their determination and fear as they crossed borders, stayed in overcrowded refugee settlements, waited for people smugglers to get them to Australia on an unseaworthy fishing boat with another 400 refugees, the terror when a storm hit and nearly sank the boat, the despair when the boat engine failed. They experienced some relief when rescued by the Norwegian cargo ship, the Tampa, only to be devastated when John Howard's government did everything to prevent their arrival, which included sending Australian SAS soldiers carrying guns to board the Tampa.
Fortunately for Abbas, his family, and a small group of survivors, New Zealand accepted their asylum request, and with Government and volunteer support, plus their own hard work, they managed to live successful peaceful lives.
A really moving account of only one of many families who flee terror, which should be a must read for all politicians.
The heart-rending story of a child 'Tampa' refugee who grew up to become a Fulbright scholar, highlighting the plight and potential of refugees everywhere.
When the Taliban were at the height of their power in 2001, Abbas Nazari's parents were faced with a choice: stay and face persecution in their homeland, or seek security for their young children elsewhere.
The family's desperate search for safety took them on a harrowing journey from the mountains of Afghanistan to a small fishing boat in the Indian Ocean, crammed with more than 400 other asylum seekers.
When their boat started to sink, they were mercifully saved by a cargo ship, the Tampa. However, one of the largest maritime rescues in modern history quickly turned into an international stand-off, as Australia closed its doors to these asylum seekers.
The Tampa had waded into the middle of Australia's national election, sparking their hardline policy of offshore detention. While many of those rescued by the Tampa were the first inmates sent to the island of Nauru, Abbas and his family were some of the lucky few to be resettled in New Zealand.
Twenty years after the Tampa affair, Abbas tells his amazing story, from living under Taliban rule, to spending a terrifying month at sea, to building a new life at the bottom of the world.
A powerful and inspiring story for our times, After the Tampa celebrates the importance of never letting go of what drives the human spirit: hope.
When Abbas was only a child, his family made the decision that they could no longer live safely in their homeland. It tells of their determination and fear as they crossed borders, stayed in overcrowded refugee settlements, waited for people smugglers to get them to Australia on an unseaworthy fishing boat with another 400 refugees, the terror when a storm hit and nearly sank the boat, the despair when the boat engine failed. They experienced some relief when rescued by the Norwegian cargo ship, the Tampa, only to be devastated when John Howard's government did everything to prevent their arrival, which included sending Australian SAS soldiers carrying guns to board the Tampa.
Fortunately for Abbas, his family, and a small group of survivors, New Zealand accepted their asylum request, and with Government and volunteer support, plus their own hard work, they managed to live successful peaceful lives.
A really moving account of only one of many families who flee terror, which should be a must read for all politicians.
The heart-rending story of a child 'Tampa' refugee who grew up to become a Fulbright scholar, highlighting the plight and potential of refugees everywhere.
When the Taliban were at the height of their power in 2001, Abbas Nazari's parents were faced with a choice: stay and face persecution in their homeland, or seek security for their young children elsewhere.
The family's desperate search for safety took them on a harrowing journey from the mountains of Afghanistan to a small fishing boat in the Indian Ocean, crammed with more than 400 other asylum seekers.
When their boat started to sink, they were mercifully saved by a cargo ship, the Tampa. However, one of the largest maritime rescues in modern history quickly turned into an international stand-off, as Australia closed its doors to these asylum seekers.
The Tampa had waded into the middle of Australia's national election, sparking their hardline policy of offshore detention. While many of those rescued by the Tampa were the first inmates sent to the island of Nauru, Abbas and his family were some of the lucky few to be resettled in New Zealand.
Twenty years after the Tampa affair, Abbas tells his amazing story, from living under Taliban rule, to spending a terrifying month at sea, to building a new life at the bottom of the world.
A powerful and inspiring story for our times, After the Tampa celebrates the importance of never letting go of what drives the human spirit: hope.
July 28, 2024
Nazari fled Taliban persecution as a child with his family, trying to reach Australia on the ill-fated Tampa - turned away by Australia, his family were taken in by NZ…
So…I don’t think I’m the target audience for this book, and it fell flat for me - my star rating reflects my reading experience, not an objective evaluation of merit or Nazari’s life story (turns out it’s very difficult to review a memoir you didn’t love without sounding like an arsehole). If it hadn’t been a Book Club choice, I probably wouldn’t have picked it up as the marketing around this memoir veered very close to Model Refugee territory (a close cousin of The Good Immigrant™) which put me off - refugees and asylum seekers shouldn’t have to prove their worth, they’re not an investment portfolio. Nazari’s writing is straightforward (and occasionally let down by poor editing), resulting in a very accessible and unexpectedly quick read. There wasn’t the depth and introspection that I was expecting, particularly around the complexities of identity and the tougher aspects of adapting to a completely new country, language and culture - this memoir kept it fairly surface-level which, again, makes this an accessible read with broad appeal, but left me wanting more. Not having grown up in this corner of the world, I hadn’t heard of the Tampa - I was aware of Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers, but I didn’t know how or when it the policy came into being, so that was interesting to learn about. An accessible memoir of a remarkable life so far, largely packaged up as a pat on the back for New Zealand.
August 14, 2022
Abbas Nazari was seven years old in 2001, when his Hazara family fled persecution from the Taliban. They boarded up their house in a small village in Afghanistan, packed what they could carry and made the dangerous border crossing to Pakistan. They eventually travelled to Indonesia and then paid people smugglers to transport them to Australia to seek asylum. The passage they had paid for did not eventuate, Abbas and his family were herded aboard an overcrowded fishing boat carrying over 400 people. Caught in a storm, taking on water, the engine failing, the boat was foundering. They were rescued from almost certain death by the Tampa and caught up in a political stand off. Most of the asylum seekers were taken to Nauru for off-shore processing, the Nazari family were amongst a lucky few that were accepted into New Zealand.
Abbas went on to become a Fulbright scholar, completing studies at Georgetown university in USA.
This is a compelling story and in the last third of the book, Abbas shares some interesting insights about current world events.
Abbas went on to become a Fulbright scholar, completing studies at Georgetown university in USA.
This is a compelling story and in the last third of the book, Abbas shares some interesting insights about current world events.
October 5, 2024
I wasn’t sure I was in the mood for this Book Club pick, as I expected it to be quite heavy. Instead, I found it to be a quick and quite uplifting read.
The author describes his childhood in a mountain village in Afghanistan where he was part of the Hazara minority. His community was targeted by the Taliban and so his family made the difficult decision to get out in the early 2000s. He describes his harrowing journey from Afghanistan to Pakistan to Indonesia, finally boarding a dodgy boat headed for Australia.
The title refers to the Norwegian container ship that rescues them at sea.
This story illustrates the real harm caused by right-wing political rhetoric against immigrants. I found myself enraged by the Australian government’s actions, their shocking bigotry, their complete lack of empathy toward fellow humans.
I was proud to be a New Zealander when I read about how the author and his family were welcomed here.
The author overcomes extreme adversity to have a very successful life - it was gratifying and heartwarming to read about it.
The author describes his childhood in a mountain village in Afghanistan where he was part of the Hazara minority. His community was targeted by the Taliban and so his family made the difficult decision to get out in the early 2000s. He describes his harrowing journey from Afghanistan to Pakistan to Indonesia, finally boarding a dodgy boat headed for Australia.
The title refers to the Norwegian container ship that rescues them at sea.
This story illustrates the real harm caused by right-wing political rhetoric against immigrants. I found myself enraged by the Australian government’s actions, their shocking bigotry, their complete lack of empathy toward fellow humans.
I was proud to be a New Zealander when I read about how the author and his family were welcomed here.
The author overcomes extreme adversity to have a very successful life - it was gratifying and heartwarming to read about it.
April 25, 2022
Compelling, intriguing and educational. I was in my early teens when the Tampa story was in the news, and didn’t really pay attention. Learning the extent of John Howard’s determination to not accept these people, or to allow them any form of help, was insane to me. The story of the Afghanistan the author’s family left behind was at times harrowing, and there’s a certain source of pride that New Zealand welcomed them - and that the family, through their determination and hard work have settled and thrived.
Great commentary on the realities for refugees all around the world, especially and sadly relevant in light of the current Ukraine crisis.
Great commentary on the realities for refugees all around the world, especially and sadly relevant in light of the current Ukraine crisis.
January 3, 2023
An incredibly moving account of a young Afghani refugee who experienced the trauma of the Tampa but finally made the most of resettlement in New Zealand.
There’s plenty to consider in this well written memoir of life in Afghanistan,a consideration of the Australian policy towards “boat people”, and the uplifting story of life as a non English speaking immigrant in an alien culture.
Highly recommended.
There’s plenty to consider in this well written memoir of life in Afghanistan,a consideration of the Australian policy towards “boat people”, and the uplifting story of life as a non English speaking immigrant in an alien culture.
Highly recommended.
October 11, 2023
I stayed up too late finishing this book last night but it was really good. Its the sort of story that I knew about peripherally but to read Abbas' story and learn about the absolute horror of the refugee's journey to Christmas Island only to get turned away due to politics was an important and enlightening read. Abbas tells the engaging story very democratically, while trying to show kindness and love throughout the book.
July 13, 2025
I remember the shameful palava around boat people being held back from Australia and the setting up of offshore detention centres. It was terrible. An embarrassment to humanity.
I agree with my dad who believed that an ideal world would have no border controls and anybody could come and go from any country they liked. I wonder whether that would work in reality?
It was good to hear this boy’s story. Well told. Heartwarming and well written.
I agree with my dad who believed that an ideal world would have no border controls and anybody could come and go from any country they liked. I wonder whether that would work in reality?
It was good to hear this boy’s story. Well told. Heartwarming and well written.
March 20, 2023
An insightful true story about what refugees can overcome and achieve through perseverance, planning, hard work, support of family and friend and their faith in their religion. This book also revealed the political motives of the Australian government of the time and what a party will do to win an election. Written in an easy conversational style.
February 14, 2025
This book was our book club read for February . It was a beautifully written and insightful account of a very gifted and courageous young man and his family and fellow refugees .
I would highly recommend it .
I would highly recommend it .
April 16, 2022
5 stars for the human spirit
October 5, 2022
Amazing story, loved that Abbas is Chch based and he’s so proud of the city and was so welcomed with his family when they arrived from the Tampa.
November 12, 2022
A truly remarkable story and one everyone should reas
August 8, 2023
A really really great read that is easy to following, confronting and simulataneously encouraging.
January 22, 2024
Compelling/enlightening.
April 18, 2024
So interesting and unique. Very good to get a first hand perspective on refugees and their life. My respect for Australia went way down!
October 15, 2024
Heart wrenching story of refugees caught in the middle of dirty politics. Brilliantly written.
December 26, 2025
An interesting insight into what refugees experience at resettlement is like.
October 17, 2022
Devastating when discussing the experiences of the refugees aboard the Palapa and the Tampa and the lengths the Australian government went to ensure none of the passengers was allowed to come to Australia. This book is also reflective, funny and warm.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews