Fury has erupted over claims New Zealand’s immigration minister discussed migration policy with a prominent member of the Sikh community who has a conviction for electoral fraud.
Erica Stanford on Monday met with Daljit Singh, who has held positions in the Supreme Sikh Council of New Zealand and is the current President of the New Zealand Central Sikh Association despite being being found guilty of registering ineligible voters in Auckland in 2010.
Mr Singh, who has worked as a migration and real estate agent, shared photos of himself and other members of a Sikh delegation with Ms Stanford, and the group also had a meeting with Race Relation Commissioner Melissa Derby to complain about “anti-immigration rhetoric” and “online hate”.
He wrote in a caption to the photos that he and Ms Stanford discussed “at least three policies” that are currently under consideration, claimed he was “very close” to the immigration minister, and said he had a conversation with Ms Derby about “poison being spread about minorities and growing hatred”.
The photos sparked anger from New Zealanders on social media, who asked why a convicted election fraudster had access to the minister and appeared to be influencing election policy.
Destiny Church founder Brian Tamaki called it “deeply concerning” and said “ordinary Kiwis raising concerns about mass immigration can’t even get a meeting with Ministers”.
“I’ve personally asked to meet with Ministers…including Luxon himself…to discuss concerns many New Zealanders have about mass immigration. Apparently they’re always too busy. But somehow, if you’ve got a sword and wearing a turban, doors suddenly open. Unbelievable,” he wrote.
“The Indian community should have zero influence over our immigration policy,” wrote one irate Kiwi.
“This is shocking, but not at all surprising. National have become infiltrated by Indian criminals. Stanford is the immigration minister of course. Vote these clowns out!” wrote popular political commentator Holyhekatuiteka on X.
“The supreme irony of him complaining about ‘the poison being spread about minorities’ when he is poster boy for for the worst excesses of Punjabi corrupt practices in NZ – one of the very things that Kiwis are rightfully complaining about,” wrote another X user.
Mr Singh was sentenced to five months community detention and 200 hours of community work in 2014 for illegally registering 116 voters, who lived in India and other parts of New Zealand, to vote in a 2010 Auckland local board election where he ran unsuccessfully as a Labour candidate.
He was found guilty of two charges of dealing with forged documents, and not guilty of 18 other counts of the same charge.
The meetings come amid ongoing controversy over mass immigration from India into New Zealand and the government’s recent Free Trade Agreement with the South Asian nation.
The Sikh community has also faced protests against religious parades through suburban streets, with a Christian group blocking two processions with hakas in recent months.
Noticer News contacted Ms Stanford for comment.
Header image: Mr Singh and Ms Stanford (Facebook).
