Soetta Airport Immigration Reveals Two Main Illegal Hajj Modes
Immigration at Soekarno-Hatta Airport has uncovered two main methods often used to send prospective pilgrims illegally during the 2026 Hajj season.
First, the tourist visa trick: aspiring pilgrims pretend to be traveling to Southeast Asian countries like Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, then after a layover continue on to Saudi Arabia. Second, the Amil Work Visa mode, where official work visas are misused to perform the Hajj.
This discovery is the result of synergy among the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, and the Police through a passenger profiling system and the application of Subject of Interest. With this system, passenger data can be analyzed before check-in, and individuals who were previously recorded attempting illegal departures in past years will trigger an alert when their passport is scanned.
From April 18 to May 15, 2026, Soetta Immigration prevented 89 people (40 men, 49 women) from departing, a drop from 721 in the same period last year. Immigration handed over further handling to the police and is committed to strengthening surveillance to protect citizens from illegal Hajj syndicates.
https://mozaik.inilah.com/news