Immigration Affirms Strengthening of Oversight for the 2026 Hajj Implementation
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, together with the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections (Imipas) and the National Police (Polri), has established the Hajj Task Force to eradicate illegal Hajj practices. To maximise its role, the Ministry of Imipas, through the Directorate General (Ditjen) of Immigration, has emphasised strengthening oversight.
Surveillance has been tightened as a concrete preventive measure against the potential departure of prospective non-procedural Hajj pilgrims. Therefore, the Directorate General of Immigration under the Ministry of Imipas has directed all immigration officers at embarkation and debarkation airports to remain vigilant at all times.
“We have instructed all units at every embarkation airport to provide the best service for our Hajj pilgrims. At the same time, we are fully committed to tightening surveillance on prospective non-procedural Hajj pilgrims,” stated the Director General of Immigration, Hendarsam Marantoko, in a written statement on Wednesday (22 April 2026).
“This step is our effort to protect the public from document misuse practices and illegal departure schemes that harm the pilgrims themselves,” Hendarsam added.
Hendarsam then explained that immigration service readiness covers 14 main embarkation airports, from Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport (Banda Aceh) to Yogyakarta Airport (YIA), to expedite immigration checks. Immigration has deployed personnel and supporting infrastructure, including autogate facilities at high-volume airports such as Kualanamu (KNO), Soekarno-Hatta (CGK), Juanda (SUB), and others, to ensure smooth departure and return flows for around 221,000 pilgrims.
“Prospective Hajj pilgrims whose departures are postponed and who are indicated as non-procedural will have their names entered into the Subject of Interest (SoI) application by our officers during the Hajj season, so they cannot attempt to depart from other airports,” Hendarsam clarified.
Hendarsam emphasised that inter-agency synergy is the key to the success of this year’s Hajj implementation. Based on the established schedule, the departure process for the first wave of pilgrims from Indonesia to Madinah begins today, 22 April 2026, and will continue until 6 May 2026.
Subsequently, the second wave of pilgrims will depart for Jeddah from 7 May to 21 May 2026. Hendarsam assured that all document verification procedures will run efficiently in accordance with the law.
“We are here for the people, as partners ensuring that the journey of Allah’s guests proceeds safely, comfortably, and with dignity. However, we strongly urge the public not to be easily tempted by offers to depart for Hajj via illegal routes,” Hendarsam stated.
Finally, Hendarsam urged the public intending to perform Hajj not to jeopardise their safety and to ensure the pilgrimage runs smoothly. Therefore, he stressed that the public should use official Hajj channels.
“Do not jeopardise your safety and the certainty of your worship. Use the official channels set by the government so that the pilgrimage proceeds peacefully, safely, and legally,” he concluded.