April 16, 2026 | 04:20 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's Class I Immigration Office at Soekarno-Hatta Airport has formed a special task force to anticipate the departure of illegal Hajj pilgrims this year. This task force was formed in response to last year's discovery of 700 illegal Hajj pilgrims.
"The Immigration Director General overall thwarted 1,300 illegal Hajj pilgrims last Hajj season, 700 of whom were at Soekarno Hatta Airport," said Head of the Soekarno-Hatta Immigration Office, Priya Kartika Perdhana, during a Coffe Morning and Halal Bihalal event in Tangerang City, on Thursday, April 16, 2026.
According to Galih, most of the 700 people whose departures were thwarted last year had work or pilgrimage visas. The majority of these findings were detected at Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta Airport, which is indeed the departure point for regular non-Hajj international flights.
Therefore, Galih said, the task force will focus on inspecting travel documents and verifying visa types. They will also quickly coordinate with other agencies if there are indications of violations. Soekarno-Hatta Immigration will also increase the number of personnel and maximize facilities at the inspection points. "One of the functions of the task force is to prevent and protect the community from potential problems abroad due to departures that do not comply with procedures," said Galih.
The departure process for prospective Hajj pilgrims through Soekarno-Hatta Airport is scheduled to begin on April 22, 2026. This Hajj season, Soekarno-Hatta Airport will handle the departure of 35,285 people from the Pondok Gede Embarkation, Bekasi Embarkation, and Cipondoh Embarkation. "Pilgrims will be flown using Garuda Indonesia and Saudi Arabian Airlines," said Galih.
To support smoothness, the entire immigration inspection process, including the issuance of departure marks, has been centralized at the Departure Hajj Dormitory. Prospective pilgrims will then be transported from the Hajj Dormitory to Soekarno-Hatta Airport by sealed buses accompanied by immigration officers.
Upon arrival at the airport, pilgrims will be directed to the Mekahrut facility at Terminal 2 for immigration inspection by Saudi authorities.
With this service, upon arrival in Saudi Arabia, Indonesian pilgrims can proceed directly to their lodgings without undergoing immigration inspection. "With this scheme, the departure process becomes faster, more organized, and more comfortable for all prospective Hajj pilgrims," said Galih.
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