Immigration Intercepts 13 Indonesians Attempting Hajj on Work Visas
The Special Class I Immigration Office at the Soekarno-Hatta Immigration Check Point has delayed the departure of 13 Indonesian citizens (WNI) suspected of intending to perform the Hajj pilgrimage in a non-procedural manner. The delay followed inspections on 18–19 April 2026 at Terminal 3 international departures.
The Head of the Soekarno-Hatta Immigration Office, Galih P. Kartika Perdhana, stated that the action is a preventive measure to ensure compliance with immigration procedures while protecting the public from potential legal issues in the destination country. “We do not want Indonesians to depart through improper channels that could lead to problems later,” he said in an official statement on Tuesday, 21 April 2026.
From the surveillance results, 8 Indonesians were found to be heading to Jeddah on work visas. However, after further examination, they admitted their actual purpose was to perform the Hajj without official procedures. Four others also confessed to intending to perform Hajj on work visas but lacked valid supporting documents as workers.
Additionally, on 19 April 2026, officers delayed the departure of one Indonesian detected in the immigration system as having previously attempted similar non-procedural Hajj travel. This finding strengthens indications of a pattern in using unofficial channels for Hajj pilgrimage.
Galih explained that the surveillance is not only based on travel document checks but also involves passenger profiling, immigration system analysis, and cross-sector coordination within Immigration. This approach enables officers to detect visa misuse early, including the use of work visas not matching the travel purpose.
Based on the examination results, some prospective passengers were found using work visas without valid supporting documents according to official mechanisms. This condition is deemed to potentially cause legal problems for Indonesians in the destination country, including risks of deportation or other sanctions.
As follow-up, Soekarno-Hatta immigration officers have coordinated with the Intelligence and Immigration Enforcement Division for further investigation into the case. This step is to trace possible facilitators of non-procedural Hajj departures.
Immigration also urges the public not to be tempted by offers of non-procedural Hajj travel promising ease without official channels. Besides violating regulations, such practices could harm pilgrims both financially and in terms of safety while abroad.
Going forward, Soekarno-Hatta Immigration states it will continue to tighten surveillance at all international departure points, especially ahead of the Hajj peak season, to prevent similar practices from recurring.
Indonesian Hajj pilgrims will begin departing for the holy land on 22 April. There are 221,000 pilgrims scheduled to depart this year.