Director-General: Prevention of non-procedural Hajj departures is a form of state protection

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko of the Ministry of Immigration and Penitentiary said that preventing non-procedural haj departures is a form of state protection for Indonesian citizens. “This preventive measure is a precautionary step for the safety of the pilgrims,” Hendarsam said in a statement in Jakarta on Friday. Hendarsam again reminded that decisive immigration actions to stop non-procedural haj departures are not meant to be restrictive. “The spirit of ‘Immigration for the People’ means we exist to protect all citizens from potential exploitation, fraud, and legal vulnerabilities in other countries. Worship safely, legally, and in accordance with recognised procedures,” he said. He continued to urge his staff to remain vigilant in immigration checks during the haj pilgrimage. Hendarsam stressed that the modernization of the immigration surveillance system is designed to close gaps that allow human trafficking through various modes. “The system integration across all our immigration checkpoints is currently able to read crossing records in real time,” he said. If there is a suspicious subject, he continued, authorities will input them as ‘subject of interest’ so other border gates can be on alert. Immigration has made several preventive measures against non-procedural haj departures at several airports. This time at Kualanamu International Airport, Medan, North Sumatra. Thirteen Indonesian citizens are suspected of intending to perform haj non-procedurally. The group attempted to depart using Malaysia Airlines (MH0861) bound for Kuala Lumpur. They were detained at Kualanamu Airport, Medan on Thursday (21/5). To officers, the group claimed they would go to Malaysia for a holiday. Officers then directed all passengers for further checks. Parlindungan stated that interviews revealed inconsistencies in the documents held by the group of Indonesian citizens. “Initially they claimed to be going for tourism to Malaysia. However, after probing, they admitted their ultimate destination was Saudi Arabia to perform Haj without official procedures,” Parlindungan said. Head of Medan Immigration Office Uray Avian added that officers detected one passenger named Santo Aseano who is suspected of acting as on-site coordinator. Based on crossing record traces, the group had previously attempted to depart through Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on May 10, 2026 and through Batam, but were foiled by local immigration officers. The success of preventing non-procedural haj pilgrim candidates at these three main Indonesian border gates is the result of integration of national immigration data in real time. Currently, North Sumatra Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration is coordinating with the North Sumatra Regional Police for further handling and legal enforcement against the group coordinator. Immigration urges the public not to be enticed by offers of instant haj departures without official visas. Using non-procedural routes poses risks to security, legal rights, and protection of Indonesian citizens in Saudi Arabia. Throughout Haj 2026, the Directorate General of Immigration and its staff have prevented 157 people from departing as non-procedural haj pilgrims.