Minister of Hajj States Only 22.77 Per Cent of Pilgrims Have Returned to Indonesia

A total of 120 flight groups (kloter) have returned to the homeland. The Minister of Hajj and Umrol, Mochamad Irfan Yusuf, also known as Gus Irfan, stated that this figure represents only 47,012 pilgrims, or approximately 22.77 per cent of the total Indonesian Hajj pilgrims who have arrived.

“The repatriation process is still ongoing. Returns via Jeddah Airport are scheduled to continue until 15 June 2026, while the wave of returns from Madinah will begin on 16 June and end on 30 June 2026. The final flight group is expected to arrive in Indonesia on 1 July 2026,” said Gus Irfan on Monday (8/6).

Gus Irfan explained that the overall implementation of the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage is proceeding according to plan. However, he noted several evaluations that the government is monitoring to improve service quality for the next Hajj season.

“Several aspects are a primary concern. One of them is the service in Mina, which is considered the most challenging point during the Hajj pelaksanaan. The limited area of Mina, which must accommodate millions of pilgrims from various countries, causes unavoidable congestion,” said Gus Irfan.

Gus Irfan also noted that the punctuality of pilgrim transportation before and after the Armuzna rituals (Arafah, Muzdalifah, and Mina) has come under scrutiny. Although the movement of pilgrims was generally smooth, Gus Irfan stated that some delays were found during the transition from Makkah to Arafah, and subsequently to Muzdalifah and Mina.

“Another evaluation concerns the operation of the Shalawat buses, which were deemed quite good during the Hajj season. However, the temporary suspension of operations after Armuzna caused some pilgrims to wait longer to reach the Masjidil Haram to perform the Tawaf Ifadah,” he explained.

Furthermore, Gus Irfan added that improvements are still needed in the health sector. Although the number of pilgrim deaths and health cases has improved compared to the previous year, the results have not yet met the government’s targets.

“To date, approximately 240 Indonesian pilgrims have died during the Hajj pilgrimage. This figure is better than last year, but it remains above the government’s target, which aims to keep the number of deaths around 150 pilgrims,” revealed Gus Irfan.