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India Today
27-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Mails from Indians on immigration akin to spam: New Zealand minister sparks row
New Zealand's Immigration Minister. Eric Stanford, sparked an outrage after she revealed how she received heaps of emails from Indians seeking immigration advice. She also stated that she never responded to these emails. She received criticism for the insensitivity of her comments. An Indian-origin Labour MP, Priyanca Radhakrishnan, criticised Stanford for singling out an ethnic group and said it was careless at best and prejudiced at defending her use of her personal Gmail account for official correspondence during a session on May 6, Stanford said, "I receive a lot of unsolicited emails like, for example, things from people in India asking for immigration advice, which I never respond to. I almost regard those as being akin to spam."Defending her actions, she explained that she complied with the Official Information Act and made sure all relevant material was documented and sent to her parliamentary email. The parliamentary question posed to Stanford was not in connection with came up just a day after Stanford revealed she had utilised her personal email account for official purposes, including sending herself advance copies of budget announcements for MP RADHAKRISHNAN CALLS OUT REMARKLabour MP of Indian origin, Priyanca Radhakrishnan, criticised to The Indian Weekender, Radhakrishnan said, "Such comments reinforce negative stereotypes about an entire community." She also called it unacceptable for a minister to single out a specific ethnic a Chennai-born minister, expressed her outrage over the incident on Facebook, sharing her strong reaction to the statement."Earlier this week, in response to a question, the Immigration Minister felt the need to single out people from one country/ethnicity in a negative light. If you're from India, don't bother emailing her because it's automatically considered spam. So much for the National Government's all-of-government focus on strengthening the relationship between India & NZ and focus on people-to-people links," Radhakrishnan rejected Radhakrishnan's allegations, saying she did not say they were spam. "I said I almost regard those as being akin to spam.""While these people are attempting to contact me as the Minister of Immigration, I have no ministerial responsibility for providing non-citizens with immigration advice, nor do my officials at Immigration NZ have any responsibility," Radio New Zealand (RNZ) quoted her as saying.
News18
27-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
'Emails From Indians Akin To Spam': New Zealand Immigration Minister Under Fire For Remarks
Last Updated: Immigration minister Erica Stanford made the remarks while responding to a question during a parliamentary session on the use of her Gmail account for official correspondence A New Zealand minister has courted controversy with her remarks on how she handles queries on immigration from Indians, when she said she 'never responds" to them and they are 'akin to spam". Immigration minister Erica Stanford reportedly made the statement in response to a question during a parliamentary session on May 6. She was defending the use of her Gmail account for official correspondence. 'I receive a lot of unsolicited emails like, for example, things from people in India asking for immigration advice, which I never respond to. I almost regard those as being akin to spam," Stanford said. Condemning the 'stereotypical" remarks, Indian-origin Labour MP Priyanca Radhakrishnan said ministers received unsolicited emails all the time and there was no reason for her to single out Indians. Stanford, however, responded saying her remarks had been misinterpreted. In a Facebook post, Radhakrishnan slammed Stanford saying she 'felt the need to single out people from one country/ethnicity in a negative light". She said if you are from India, it will be better not to contact the minister as those emails will go into her spam folder. 'Earlier this week, in response to a question by @willowjeanprime the Immigration Minister felt the need to single out people from one country/ethnicity in a negative light. If you're from India, don't bother emailing her because it's automatically considered spam," Radhakrishnan said on Facebook. She added: 'So much for the National govt's all-of-government focus on strengthening the relationship between India & NZ and focus on people-to-people links." According to a report by The Indian Weekender, Radhakrishnan said, 'Such comments reinforce negative stereotypes about an entire community". She described the comments as 'careless at best and prejudiced at worst" and pointed out that ministers receive such emails all the time, and there was no reason to single out Indians. 'Particularly given New Zealand's important relationship with India," she was quoted as saying, 'comments like these serve to reinforce negative stereotypes against an entire community of people." HOW DID ERICA STANFORD RESPOND? Stanford defended her statement and said she did not consider emails from Indians spam, but in fact, 'almost akin to spam". She said her remarks had been misinterpreted. 'I did not say that I consider them as spam," she was quoted, adding, 'I only said that I consider them almost akin to spam." Stanford further said she was referring to the volume and nature of unsolicited emails she receives on her personal email and did not mean to call out a specific community. 'In this instance, I recalled a recent email I'd received of this nature when answering," she was quoted. Stanford has served as minister of immigration since November 27, 2023, and took charge following the formation of the National-led coalition government under Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated!
Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
New Zealand minister Erica Stanford under fire for calling emails from Indians ‘akin to spam'
New Zealand Immigration Minister Erica Stanford has come under intense criticism for remarks made during a recent parliamentary session, where she likened emails from Indian nationals seeking immigration advice to spam. While defending her use of a personal Gmail account for official communication during a session on May 6, Stanford remarked, 'I receive a lot of unsolicited emails like, for example, things from people in India asking for immigration advice, which I never respond to. I almost regard those as being akin to spam.' The comment has sparked controversy, with many accusing the minister of targeting a specific ethnic group. Indian-origin Labour MP Priyanca Radhakrishnan condemned the remarks, describing them as 'careless at best and prejudiced at worst.' She criticised the minister for singling out Indian senders, stating that ministers routinely receive unsolicited messages. 'Such comments reinforce negative stereotypes about an entire community,' Radhakrishnan was quoted by The Indian Weekender as saying. She added, 'It is unacceptable for a minister to single out a specific ethnic group… particularly given New Zealand's important relationship with India.' In response to the backlash, Stanford issued a clarification, stating that her remarks had been misinterpreted. 'I did not say that I consider them as spam,' she clarified. 'I only said that I consider them almost akin to spam.' She further explained that her comment was aimed at the large volume of unsolicited emails she receives on her personal account, not specifically at Indian individuals. 'In this instance, I recalled a recent email I'd received of this nature when answering,' she said. Stanford has held the Immigration portfolio since November 27, 2023, following the formation of New Zealand's National-led coalition government under Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. India and New Zealand have been working to strengthen bilateral ties, a priority highlighted during Luxon's official visit to India in March. During his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the leaders discussed enhanced cooperation in trade, defence, and education. A proposed free trade agreement between the two nations is currently in development, with both sides aiming for completion by the end of 2025. The agreement is expected to benefit key sectors including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, mining, and tourism. Education continues to be a central pillar of the India–New Zealand relationship, with more than 15,000 Indian students currently enrolled in New Zealand institutions. The countries are also planning to increase cultural engagement through tourism, sports, and academic exchanges.
NDTV
27-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Immigration Minister Of This Country Is Under Fire For Stereotyping Indians
New Zealand Immigration Minister Erica Stanford is under fire for saying she "never responds" to emails from Indians, because she considers them "akin to spam." During a parliamentary session on May 6, defending her use of a personal Gmail account for official correspondence, Ms Stanford said, "I receive a lot of unsolicited emails like, for example, things from people in India asking for immigration advice, which I never respond to. I almost regard those as being akin to spam." Indian-origin Labour MP Priyanca Radhakrishnan condemned the remarks as insensitive and discriminatory. Speaking to The Indian Weekender, Ms Radhakrishnan said, "Such comments reinforce negative stereotypes about an entire community," and called it unacceptable for a minister to single out a specific ethnic group. Ms Radhakrishnan described the comments as "careless at best and prejudiced at worst." She pointed out that ministers receive unsolicited emails regularly, so there was no reason to single out emails from Indians. "Particularly given New Zealand's important relationship with India," she said, "comments like these serve to reinforce negative stereotypes against an entire community of people." Erica Stanford later clarified, saying she had been misinterpreted. "I did not say that I consider them as spam," she explained. "I only said that I consider them almost akin to spam." She defended her statement, saying it referred to the volume and nature of unsolicited emails she receives on her personal email, not Indians specifically. "In this instance, I recalled a recent email I'd received of this nature when answering," she said. Erica Stanford has been serving as New Zealand's Minister of Immigration since November 27, 2023. She assumed the role following the formation of the National-led coalition government under Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Christopher Luxon visited India in March and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They discussed ways to strengthen ties between the two countries in areas like trade, defence, and education. Both countries are working on a free trade agreement that they hope to finalise by the end of 2025. This deal aims to boost trade in important areas such as farming, minerals, medicines, and tourism. Education is also a key area of cooperation. More than 15,000 Indian students study in New Zealand, which helps build strong people-to-people connections. The two countries are also planning to increase cultural exchanges in tourism, sports, and education.
Hindustan Times
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
New Zealand immigration minister says she never replies to emails from Indians
New Zealand's Minister of Immigration Erica Stanford has come under fire for comments that appear to stereotype Indians. Stanford was responding to a question in parliament on May 6 when she made a passing reference to Indian migrants. Her remarks may have flown under the radar, if not for Priyanca Radhakrishnan, an India-born Labour MP, who called Stanford's remarks 'careless at best and prejudiced at worst'. According to a report in The Indian Weekender, Erica Stanford recently admitted to forwarding official correspondence to her personal gmail account. The New Zealand National Party cabinet minister was responding to a question in parliament about this misstep when she made a remark about Indians that many found distasteful. The Kiwi immigration minister said she never opened emails from Indians, comparing them to spam. 'I have complied with the Official Information Act. I have also made sure that everything is available to be captured and have forwarded everything that I've needed to to my parliamentary email address,' said Stanford. 'I will acknowledge, though, in a very similar case to Kelvin Davis, I receive a lot of unsolicited emails like, for example, things from people in India asking for immigration advice, which I never respond to. I almost regard those as being akin to spam, and so there are those ones.' Chennai-born Radhakrishnan accused Stanford of playing up negative stereotypes about Indians. 'Comments like these serve to reinforce negative stereotypes against an entire community of people,' Radhakrishnan told The Indian Weekender. She added that it was unacceptable for a minister to single out people from one ethnicity. Stanford, however, has defended her remarks, claiming she was misunderstood. 'I did not say it is automatically considered as spam,' she clarified. 'I said 'I almost regard those as being akin to spam'.'
