The Undesirables
Inside Nauru
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4.8 • 13 Ratings
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
'How long will we be here?' one man asked.Nobody could answer him. Nobody knew. The intention was clear: this was the No Advantage policy. Take them to a distant island, lock them away, punish them, forget about them. Criminals were given a sentence to serve; these men were not even given that. Lost hope ebbed out of the men in uncontrollable sobs and tears. Queue jumper, boat person, illegals. Asylum seekers are contentious front-page news but obtaining information about Australia’s regional processing centres is increasingly difficult. We learn only what the government wants us to know. Mark Isaacs worked for the Salvation Army inside the Nauru Detention Centre soon after it re-opened in 2012. He provided humanitarian aid to the men interned in the camp. What he saw there moved him to speak out. The Undesirables chronicles his time on Nauru detailing daily life and the stories of the men held there; the self-harm, suicide attempts, and riots; the rare moments of joy; the moments of deep despair.
Mark's eyewitness account humanises a political debate usually ruled by misleading rhetoric.
About the author Mark Isaacs became impassioned by the asylum seeker debate after a visit to Villawood Detention Centre while writing for Oxfam. Months later, in October 2012, Mark was employed by the Salvation Army to work at the regional processing centre in Nauru. While there, Mark established the Recreations program and Oceans program for asylum seekers. He eventually resigned from the Salvation Army in June 2013 and spoke out publicly against the government's No Advantage policy.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This startling exposé of Australia’s off-shore detention facilities for asylum seekers puts a deeply personal spin on a charged and globally relevant political issue. Author Mark Isaacs is a Salvation Army employee who worked with asylum seekers detained on the island nation of Nauru. The Undesirables is an important and enlightening book that documents the harsh and heartbreaking experiences of these desperate individuals—and makes an impassioned plea for more humane policies.
Customer Reviews
Must Read!
A Must-Read for all Australians.
Book is great, but Apple won't let me read it on my iPad
I bought the book on my iPhone, it's great. It synced to my iPad but iBook won't open it, it says it's not the right format. C'mon Apple, lift your game.
The Undesirables
This brave book tells the story of the tragedy of what the Australian Government has done in establishing a so-called "processing centre for asylum seekers" on the tiny island of Nauru. I found it inspiring, informative, easy to read and has deepened my understanding of the tragedy experienced by so many people seeking asylum in our great country.
When I questioned a former Tamil cultural adviser who worked in Nauru if he knew Mark Isaacs he replied "Mark Isaacs, he is the best human being in the world!"
This is a book that should be read by every Australian.