Ministry of Hajj Prepares Strategy to Prevent Illegal Hajj Practices
Ahead of the 2026 Hajj season, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Kemenhaj) is continuously strengthening its strategic role in preventing illegal Hajj practices. This effort is being carried out through enhanced synergy across ministries, including with the Coordinating Ministry for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections.
The meeting held at the Kemenhaj office serves as an important step in aligning supervision and prevention strategies to ensure that all Indonesian pilgrims depart through official procedures and are protected from illegal practices.
Ahmad Abdullah, Director of Supervision for Special Hajj and Umrah at Kemenhaj, emphasised that supervision is conducted comprehensively, both at the central and regional levels.
“We at Kemenhaj also carry out supervision at airports to ensure that no pilgrims depart illegally,” he stated, as quoted from an official release on Friday (3/4).
He added that this strengthened supervision is accompanied by early detection measures in various regions, as part of Kemenhaj’s commitment to curbing fraud and violations in the organisation of Hajj and Umrah.
In line with this, Achmad Gunawan, Secretary of the Directorate General for Controlling Hajj and Umrah Organisation at Kemenhaj, stressed the importance of cross-sector collaboration, particularly in data exchange.
“We will follow the task force team from the Coordinating Ministry, because if we move alone, our strength will be more limited,” Gunawan said.
From the perspective of inter-ministerial coordination, Achmad Brahmantyo Machmud, Assistant Deputy for Coordinating Immigration Governance, emphasised that synergy is the key to closing gaps for illegal pilgrim departures.
“If one illegal Hajj pilgrim pays around 100 million, that figure could reach hundreds of billions if many slip through to Saudi Arabia,” Achmad revealed.
He also warned of the potential misuse of visas, including the use of work visas for Hajj or Umrah pilgrimage purposes.
“Pilgrims who depart illegally could be caught and face penalties such as fines or long-term travel bans,” he added.
Furthermore, Achmad stressed the importance of forming a joint inter-ministerial team to strengthen systematic preventive measures, from the preparation stage to the pilgrims’ departure.
Kemenhaj views this synergy as a strategic step to bolster the national supervision system, while ensuring that the 2026 Hajj runs orderly, safely, and in accordance with regulations.
“This meeting is expected to be the initial step to optimise the supervision and prevention system, and to ensure that all Hajj pilgrims departing in 2026 can perform their worship safely, comfortably, and legally,” he concluded.