Soetta Immigration Ready to Serve 35,285 Prospective Hajj Pilgrims from Three Embarkation Points

Tangerang (ANTARA) - The Class I Special Immigration Office at the Immigration Checkpoint (TPI) of Soekarno-Hatta Airport (Soetta) in Tangerang, Banten, has stated its preparedness to serve around 35,285 prospective Hajj pilgrims from three embarkation points. “There are 35,285 prospective Hajj pilgrims who will depart via Soekarno-Hatta Airport. They come from the Pondok Gede, Bekasi, and Cipondoh embarkation points,” said the Head of the Soetta Immigration Office, Galih Priya Kartika Perdana, in Tangerang on Friday. He explained that thousands of prospective Hajj pilgrims (JCH) for 2026 will be flown using Garuda Indonesia and Saudi Arabian Airlines, with the departure process starting on 22 April 2026. For this service, the immigration authorities have prepared personnel and maximised immigration service facilities. “From operations to immigration security. For information, all immigration checks are centralised at the departure Hajj dormitory,” he said. Regarding the departure flow, prospective Hajj pilgrims will be transported by bus from their respective embarkation points with tight escorts to Soekarno-Hatta Airport. “The pilgrims will be departed from the Hajj dormitory to the airport by buses that have been sealed and secured by Immigration officers,” he added. “With this service, the pilgrims arriving in Saudi Arabia can directly continue their journey to the accommodations without undergoing immigration checks,” said Galih. Based on information, the number of JCH from Banten for the 2026 Hajj season has decreased by 143 people compared to the previous year. In 2025, Banten’s Hajj quota was 9,334 people, while this year it is recorded as 9,191 people departing to the Holy Land. “Banten’s quota has decreased from last year. However, the Hajj waiting list period has also dropped from the previous 27 years to 26 years,” said the Head of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Office in Tangerang Regency, Abdullah Hasyim. He stated that the reduction in Banten’s Hajj quota is due to the impact of new policies based on Law No. 14 of 2025 on the Implementation of Hajj and Umrah Worship. That regulation changes the national Hajj quota distribution scheme by considering the ratio of population numbers and waiting lists in each region.