- Racist stickers targeting Indians sparked outrage in Cessnock, Australia.
- Federal MP condemned messages, urging community to report, remove.
- Stickers displayed anti-immigration content, demanding ‘REMIGRATION NOW!’.
- This follows a similar anti-Indian leaflet incident previously.
Racist stickers targeting Indians have triggered outrage in Cessnock, a town in Australia’s New South Wales, prompting a local lawmaker to condemn the material and call for its removal. The stickers featured an image of a man defecating on a street alongside the message, “Is this your culture? We don’t like it”. They also cited a claim that 32% of Australia’s population was born overseas, described India as being “at the top of that list” and demanded “REMIGRATION NOW!”
Dan Repacholi, the federal MP representing the Hunter electorate, denounced the material and urged residents to report where they had seen it so that it could be reported and removed.
MP Condemns Racist Stickers
Repacholi, a member of Australia’s ruling Labor Party, said the messages did not reflect the values of the local community. He called on residents to help ensure that the material was taken down.
“The cowards spreading this rubbish don’t represent our community. Let me be absolutely clear. Racism isn’t welcome in Cessnock. It isn’t welcome in the Hunter. And it won’t go unchallenged,” he said.
Emphasising the importance of community solidarity, the MP said the material was intended to fuel division and hatred.
“We’re better and stronger than the hate and division these people are trying to spread. If you’ve seen one, let me know where it was located so it can be reported and removed. Don’t give these cowards any more publicity than they deserve,” he said.
According to The Australia Today, the stickers combine anti-immigration messaging with a direct reference to Indian migrants. The slogan “REMIGRATION NOW!” is associated with campaigns advocating the removal or departure of migrants from a country.
Repacholi reiterated his appeal for residents to share the locations of the stickers while cautioning against giving their creators unnecessary publicity.
Who Is Dan Repacholi?
Repacholi represents Hunter in the Australian House of Representatives. He was first elected in 2022 and won re-election in 2025 as a member of the Australian Labor Party.
The Hunter electorate is in New South Wales (NSW), Australia’s most populous state, which includes Sydney, a major centre for business, finance and education.
The region has a sizeable migrant population, and the latest incident has raised concerns about the treatment of Indian residents and professionals.
According to the Consulate General of India in Sydney, the Indian community in New South Wales and South Australia together accounts for approximately 38% of Australia’s Indian diaspora, numbering around 175,000 people.
‘Keep Curry’ Leaflets Triggered Row
The controversy follows another incident in July 2026, when racist leaflets were reportedly distributed through letterboxes in Kurri Kurri, also in the Hunter Region.
A report published by The Australia Today on July 12 said the leaflets urged residents to “keep curry” out of the town. The material reportedly promoted anti-immigration positions centred on remigration and preserving local culture.
Repacholi condemned the leaflets at the time, describing them as racist propaganda and accusing those responsible of attempting to spread hatred and division.
He also raised concerns about Indian professionals facing abuse in the area, saying local doctors had encountered racist remarks.
The MP called on residents who received the leaflets to report their distribution locations and stressed that racism would not be accepted in Kurri Kurri or the wider Hunter Region.
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Far-Right Links Under Scrutiny
The material appeared to be associated with the far-right Australia First party, which has promoted white nationalist views and opposed multiculturalism. However, authorities had not confirmed whether anyone had been identified in connection with the distribution of the material described in the reports.
The recurrence of anti-Indian messaging has brought renewed attention to the challenges faced by migrant communities in the region. Both incidents featured calls for remigration and arguments about preserving local culture, while specifically targeting Indian migrants.
Repacholi has urged residents to respond collectively to such incidents, maintaining that those responsible for spreading racist messages do not speak for the wider Hunter community.
