Two Main Illegal Hajj Schemes Uncovered by Soekarno-Hatta Airport Immigration

Soekarno-Hatta Airport Immigration has uncovered two primary methods frequently used by unauthorised Hajj pilgrims to travel to the Holy Land during the 1447 H/2026 Hajj season.

“These two main schemes are often employed by rogue ‘travel agencies’ to deceive officials,” said Jerry Prima, Chief of the Immigration Inspection Unit (TPI) at Soekarno-Hatta Class I Immigration Office in Tangerang on Saturday (30 May 2026).

First, he explained, the use of tourist visas. In this scheme, prospective pilgrims pretend to be tourists heading to Southeast Asian countries such as Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) or Singapore. After transiting there, they then continue their flight to Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, or Medina.

The second scheme, Jerry added, involves work visas (Visa Amil Work), which are misused as a pretext by perpetrators. Visa Amil Work, also known as Visa Amil, is an official work visa issued by the Saudi Arabian government for foreign nationals to work legally in the country. Holders are required to obtain a residence permit (iqamah) and are bound to a sponsor (kafil) during their employment contract.

According to him, these illegal Hajj schemes are detected through strong inter-agency collaboration between the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, and the police, via the Immigration Department’s passenger profiling system.

“Through this system, passenger data can be identified and analysed even before they arrive at the airport for check-in,” he added.