Immigration Prevents Departure of 13 Indonesians Planning Non-Procedural Hajj
Tangerang (ANTARA) - The Class I Special Immigration Office for Immigration Check Post (TPI) at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Tangerang, Banten, prevented the departure of 13 Indonesian citizens suspected of intending to perform the Hajj pilgrimage in a non-procedural manner via Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
The Head of the Class I Special Immigration Office TPI Soekarno-Hatta, Galih P. Kartika Perdhana, in Tangerang on Tuesday, stated that the prevention efforts were part of intensive inspections by immigration officers on 18 and 19 April 2026 at Terminal 3 international departures.
“From the surveillance results, eight Indonesian citizens were found to be departing on a flight to Jeddah using the modus operandi of work visas. However, after further examination, they admitted that their actual purpose was to perform the Hajj pilgrimage without going through official procedures,” he explained.
In addition, four other Indonesian citizens were also found to be claiming to perform Hajj using work visas without supporting documents as workers.
Meanwhile, on 19 April 2026, officers again prevented the departure of one Indonesian citizen who was detected in the system as someone who had previously attempted the same regarding indications of non-procedural Hajj departure.
“The directive from the Director General of Immigration, Mr. Hendarsam Marantoko, is very clear that every unit must be present, not only as guardians of the nation’s gateway but also as protectors of the public. We do not want Indonesian citizens to depart through channels that do not comply with procedures and risk causing problems later on,” he clarified.
Nevertheless, the surveillance conducted by Soekarno-Hatta Immigration is not only document-based but also involves profiling, system analysis, and cross-sector coordination internally.
In this case, the modus operandi of some prospective passengers involves using work visas without valid supporting documents according to the official mechanism for Hajj pilgrimage purposes.
As a follow-up, immigration officers have coordinated with the Intelligence and Immigration Enforcement Division for further in-depth investigation.
Soekarno-Hatta Immigration urges the public not to be tempted by offers of non-procedural Hajj departures that promise ease without going through official channels.
“Besides violating regulations, such practices have the potential to harm pilgrims, both financially and in terms of safety while abroad,” he said.