Ministry of Immigration and Community Affairs Proposes Formation of Task Force for Handling Non-Procedural Hajj
Ministers of Immigration and Community Affairs (Imipas) Agus Andrianto and Hajj and Umrah Mochamad Irfan Yusuf met to strengthen synergy in serving Hajj pilgrims. Minister Agus proposed the formation of a Task Force for Handling Non-Procedural Hajj.
Minister Agus initially stated that an evaluation regarding Hajj implementation involves the modus operandi of Indonesian citizens (WNI) travelling to the Holy Land with non-Hajj visas. The non-Hajj visas in question are pilgrimage visas, Umrah visas, or work visas.
“We have observed that to date, there are still problems related to the rejection of Indonesian citizens travelling to Saudi Arabia during the Hajj season using non-Hajj visas, such as pilgrimage visas, Umrah visas, or work visas,” explained Minister Agus during the audience in Jakarta on Wednesday (15/4/2026).
He said that this modus operandi of pilgrims with non-Hajj visas has become a polemic for Saudi authorities. However, if Immigration Directorate General officers delay the departure of pilgrims with non-Hajj visas, it could lead to negative perceptions.
“This situation has become a polemic, considering that these visas are officially issued by the Saudi Government authorities. On the other hand, delaying departures by immigration officers in Indonesia could potentially create perceptions of policy asynchrony and even trigger tensions if not managed properly,” clarified Minister Agus.
Therefore, Minister Agus assessed that this issue must be managed well. One proposal believed to be solution-oriented is the formation of a Task Force for Handling Non-Procedural Hajj.
“As a preventive step, we propose the formation of an Integrated Task Force for Handling Non-Procedural Hajj,” he emphasised.
When making the proposal, Minister Agus invited the police, quarantine authorities, police, customs, Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), airlines, and airport parties. He then explained the preventive measures by the Ministry of Imipas regarding this matter.
“In the future, these prevention efforts need to be strengthened through the compilation of risk profiles based on more comprehensive analysis of suspicious travel patterns,” said Minister Agus.
Some indicators that can be noted include:
Departures in large non-regular groups;
Unusual age segmentation for travel purposes of tourism or business;
Use of layered travel routes (multi-city) indicated as attempts to avoid supervision.
“However, we understand that these steps also have the potential to cause polemics, thus requiring deeper exploration and more solid coordination among stakeholders,” stated Minister Agus.
“Therefore, the formation of the Task Force is expected to serve as a joint mechanism in decision-making, so that prevention efforts are not merely the result of unilateral assessments from Immigration, but rather collective decisions that reflect the state’s presence in protecting Indonesian Citizens,” he concluded.
Minister Agus hopes that through this Task Force, a tactical field team can be formed. This technical team is expected to have the authority to conduct quick and accurate assessments of the eligibility of prospective pilgrims’ departures, ensuring that every decision taken is precise, measured, and accountable.
Also present at the meeting were Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak; Secretary General of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Teguh Dwi Nugroho; Director General of Hajj Services Ian Heriyawan; Director General of Control, Mr Harun Al Rasyid; and special staff. Meanwhile, Minister Agus was accompanied by Secretary General of the Ministry of Imipas Asep Kurnia; Inspector General of the Ministry of Imipas Yan Sultra Indrajaya; Special Staff for Community Relations of the Ministry of Imipas Ahmad Fanani; Secretary of the Directorate General of Immigration Sandy Andaryadi; Director of Immigration Supervision and Enforcement Yuldi Yusman; Director of Immigration Checkpoints Suhendra; Head of the Bureau of Law and Cooperation of the Secretariat General Sigit Setyawan.