JAKARTA, RAKYAT NEWS – Immigration officials at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, have reported the highest number of intercepted non-procedural Hajj pilgrims in Indonesia. Between April and June 2025, authorities prevented 719 individuals from departing without proper documentation, part of a nationwide effort to curb illegal pilgrimages.

Across Indonesia, a total of 1,080 citizens were stopped from undertaking non-procedural Hajj trips during the same period. Suhendra, Director of Immigration Checkpoints, explained that these measures were necessary to prevent potential legal complications for pilgrims in Saudi Arabia. The crackdown focuses on those lacking Hajj visas or attempting to misuse other types of visas for the pilgrimage.

Following Soekarno-Hatta, Juanda International Airport in Surabaya recorded the second-highest number of cases with 187 interceptions. Other major airports included Ngurah Rai in Denpasar (52), Sultan Hasanuddin in Makassar (46), and Yogyakarta International Airport (42). Smaller airports like Kualanamu in Medan and Minangkabau in West Sumatra also reported cases, though in fewer numbers.

International ports were not exempt from the crackdown. Batam’s Citra Tri Tunas port saw 82 individuals stopped, while Batam Center and Bengkong recorded 54 and 27 cases, respectively. Authorities emphasized that while many held valid Saudi visas, these were not issued for Hajj purposes and could not be used for the pilgrimage.

In one notable case in Yogyakarta, six travelers initially claimed to be vacationing in Kuala Lumpur but later admitted they were transiting to Saudi Arabia for Hajj. Similarly, in Surabaya, 171 individuals were found using tourist visas arranged by travel agencies charging hundreds of millions of rupiah. These deceptive practices highlight the risks of non-procedural pilgrimages.

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