Immigration Delays Departure of 13 Prospective Hajj Pilgrims, Here's the Reason

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Directorate General of Immigration has delayed the departure of 13 prospective non-procedural Hajj pilgrims intending to travel to Saudi Arabia via Soekarno-Hatta Airport.

Director General of Immigration, Hendarsam Marantoko, stated that the delay was carried out because the prospective pilgrims were not using Hajj visas, but rather other types such as work or visit visas.

“We update, as of today there are 13 prospective non-procedural Hajj pilgrims whose departures we are holding or delaying because they are non-procedural and not using Hajj visas,” said Hendarsam during a press conference at the Ministry of Immigration and Correctional Services office, Jakarta, on Monday (20/4/2026).

According to Hendarsam, based on previous experiences, pilgrims who depart without official procedures cannot perform the Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

In fact, they are at risk of taking illegal routes that can endanger their safety.

“Based on experiences there, if they manage to get through, they still can’t perform Hajj. The Saudi government closes itself off to that, so in the end, they might take those illegal routes, and previous experiences have endangered their lives and safety,” he explained.

The day before, there were eight prospective pilgrims whose departures were delayed, and now it has increased by five people.

All the non-procedural prospective pilgrims are known to be departing via Soekarno-Hatta Airport.

On that occasion, Hendarsam also emphasised that his side continues to coordinate with the Ministry of Religious Affairs to ensure the Hajj pilgrimage runs according to the rules.

Through that programme, immigration checks can be conducted from Indonesia, so upon arrival in Saudi Arabia, the pilgrims do not need to undergo re-examination.