Association reveals 14,000 Umrah pilgrims remain detained in the Middle East

As of 1 March, around 14,000 Umrah pilgrims remain detained in Saudi Arabia and several other Middle Eastern countries, according to data from 13 associations of Hajj and Umrah organisers (PIHU). The chairman of the Umrah organisers association (Himpuh), Firman Taufik, explained that besides Saudi Arabia, those detained include pilgrims who are currently in transit countries. ‘The most affected are pilgrims detained in transit countries where airspace is closed,’ Firman said when contacted on Tuesday (2 March). He noted that those detained are due to two factors: the closure of the destination country’s air routes and airline policies. Generally, these two factors are consequences of the widening conflict in the Middle East. ‘The Indonesian government must ensure that while pilgrims can be flown out from those countries, their safety is guaranteed, their accommodation needs facilitated, and, if worst comes to worst, a search-and-rescue mission should be sent,’ Firman said. In addition, the association recorded at least 51,000 pilgrims whose departures have been postponed. Firman said the government should take steps for those pilgrims. He said he has held meetings with the relevant ministries and airlines to discuss the situation. The problem, Firman noted, is that for those pilgrims whose departures are delayed, not all airlines are willing to refund 100 per cent of their tickets. ‘This is something that PPIU, together with the government, must fight for, including the cost risks to the hotel sector, because the pilgrims will be the ones who suffer most,’ he said.