Indonesia Blocks 80 Citizens from Illegal Hajj Attempts

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia has intensified efforts to protect its citizens from illegal Hajj practices, with authorities preventing 80 people from attempting unauthorized departures to Saudi Arabia across several airports.

Secretary of the Directorate General for Hajj and Umrah Management at the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Rizka Anungnata, said that immigration officers carried out enforcement actions in Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Medan’s Kualanamu, and Surabaya.

The Illegal Hajj Prevention Task Force was formed through cross‑agency collaboration involving the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Ministry of Immigration and Corrections, and the National Police Headquarters.

The task force serves as a strategic instrument to safeguard pilgrims while upholding the law against violations in Hajj organization. “Beyond supporting Saudi authorities, we are also learning from past experiences where many Indonesians attempted non‑procedural Hajj,” Rizka explained, as quoted by Antara.

Head of Domestic Cooperation and International Organizations, Tessar Bayu Setyaji, detailed that 57 individuals were stopped at Soekarno‑Hatta Airport, five in Medan, 15 in Surabaya, and three in Yogyakarta.

He stressed that the prevention measures reflect the state’s responsibility to protect citizens from being stranded or victimized abroad, noting that only Hajj visas permit entry into Makkah.

Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Pipit Subiyanto of the National Police's Criminal Investigation Agency reported that during the Hajj operational period, the police received 95 initial case reports, some already under investigation.

He said authorities are examining the motives and methods behind non‑procedural Hajj attempts, with several cases handled by regional police units.

Pipit urged Indonesians to perform the pilgrimage strictly according to regulations and government procedures. “We remind the public to follow the rules and official SOPs. Otherwise, everyone is harmed,” he said. ***