Immigration Prevents Departure of 42 Indonesians Suspected of Illegal Hajj via Soekarno-Hatta Airport

The Directorate General of Immigration under the Ministry of Immigration and Correctional Services (Kemenimipas) has prevented the departure of 42 Indonesian citizens (WNI) suspected of intending to undertake the Hajj in a non-procedural manner to Saudi Arabia. The prevention of these 42 non-procedural Hajj pilgrims is an accumulation of strengthened Hajj monitoring efforts conducted from the start of the Hajj period until Friday, 1 May 2026, at Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang, Banten. “This prevention is part of our commitment to protect Indonesian citizens from visa misuse and potential legal risks in the destination country,” said Director General of Immigration Hendarsam Marantoko in his statement in Jakarta on Saturday, 2 May 2026. Hendarsam stated that all immigration personnel have been instructed to heighten vigilance during the Hajj season. “This aligns with the instructions from President Prabowo and the directives of the Minister of Immigration and Correctional Services Agus Andrianto. Immigration will continue to be present through strengthened monitoring and inter-agency synergy as a manifestation of Immigration for the people,” he said. He also urged the public to perform the Hajj pilgrimage through official channels in accordance with applicable regulations, for the sake of safety, comfort, and protection while in the Holy Land. Meanwhile, the Head of the Soekarno-Hatta Immigration Office, Galih P. Kartika Perdhana, explained that the recent prevention involved 23 prospective non-procedural Hajj pilgrims who were part of one group destined for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saudi Airlines flight SV827. “Of the total, they consisted of 12 men and 11 women,” said Galih. Immigration officers at Soekarno-Hatta Airport detected discrepancies between the travel statements and the documents held by the individuals. After further examination, it was revealed that the group planned to perform the Hajj using visas not intended for that purpose. In fact, the 23 Indonesians were initially directed to provide statements as workers in Saudi Arabia before finally admitting their true purpose. One person in the group was known to act as the coordinator, while the other 22 were prospective non-procedural Hajj pilgrims. In response to these findings, immigration officers immediately coordinated with the Hajj Task Force, involving the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah as well as the National Police. Ultimately, it was decided to delay the departure of the entire group as a preventive measure. Galih stated that this action is part of the strengthening of immigration oversight during the 2026 Hajj season. Immigration is optimising checks at immigration checkpoints (TPI), enhancing risk analysis through the Passenger Analysis Unit (PAU), and strengthening cross-agency synergy.