Governor Khofifah Welcomes First Batch of Pilgrims in Surabaya

East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa personally welcomed the return of 378 pilgrims from the first batch of Surabaya debarkation, originally from Probolinggo Regency, at the Surabaya Hajj Dormitory on Monday night (1/6). Their arrival went smoothly with the support of Immigration Seamless Process Corridor Gate technology, which sped up immigration checks. Pilgrims just had to walk through the gate and be detected by iris sensors, no need to take out their passports or get them manually stamped. In her speech, Governor Khofifah expressed gratitude that all the pilgrims came back in good health. “Alhamdulillah, we welcome the pilgrims in a fresh state. May all of them earn the title of mabrur and mabruroh hajj,” she said. She also prayed that their worship be accepted by Allah SWT and bring blessings and stronger faith. Khofifah, who is also the coordinator of PPIH Embarkation Surabaya, praised the innovation from Indonesia’s Ministry of Immigration and Corrections. This tech is a biometric border check that allows super-fast verification. Similar devices have been used at Soekarno-Hatta Airport for departures, and currently there are only two units for arrivals, one in Jakarta and one in Surabaya. On that occasion, the Governor also offered condolences for the East Java pilgrims who passed away in the Holy Land. The Acting Head of the East Java Regional Office of the Hajj Ministry reported one deceased pilgrim and another still receiving treatment. At the end of the event, Khofifah hoped the pilgrims’ return brings happiness and becomes an inspiration for harmonious and blessed living. https://kabarbaik.co/syukur-gubernur-khofifah-sambut-jemaah-haji-kloter-i-di-surabaya/