Minister of Immigration and Community Affairs urges public not to force illegal Hajj pilgrimage
Tangerang (ANTARA) - Minister of Immigration and Community Affairs (Imipas) Agus Andrianto has urged Indonesians not to force themselves to perform the Hajj pilgrimage in a non-procedural or illegal manner.
He stated that this is to anticipate criminal acts of fraud using the modus operandi of offering visas through illegal Hajj Plus travel agents.
“This means that if one does not have a Hajj visa, it is best not to. Rather than becoming a victim, our duty is to protect citizens,” he said in Tangerang on Wednesday.
According to him, the government has now provided opportunities for all citizens to fulfil the Hajj pilgrimage.
“The waiting period for Hajj implementation has been accelerated, with a maximum of 26 years, compared to the previous 40 years,” he said.
Therefore, his side urged all parties to follow the procedures according to the requirements recommended by the government to ensure the safety and comfort of the Hajj pilgrimage.
“We urge our brothers and sisters who will perform Hajj; there will be opportunities. The government has now accelerated it, and it will continue to be accelerated,” he explained.
The Head of the Special Class I Immigration Office at Soekarno-Hatta TPI, Galih P. Kartika Perdhana, said that the delay efforts were carried out as part of intensive checks 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,” he said.
However, he added, after further examination, the individuals admitted that their actual purpose was to perform the Hajj pilgrimage without going through official procedures.
Galih said that four other Indonesian citizens were also found claiming to be going on Hajj using work visas without supporting worker documents.
Meanwhile, on 19 April 2026, officers again delayed 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 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 improper channels and risk causing problems later,” he stated.
He emphasised that these security actions are part of preventive efforts to protect the public from potential legal issues and risks in the destination country.
Nevertheless, the surveillance conducted by Soetta Immigration is not only document-based but also involves profiling, system analysis, and cross-sector coordination internally.