Nabire Hajj Queue Reaches 2,000 People, Waiting Time Reaches 28 Years

NABIRE - The Nabire Regency Office of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Kemenhaj) has recorded more than 2,000 Muslims still in the departure queue for the hajj since 2013.

Head of the Nabire Kemenag Office, Putra Aminudin, said the length of the queue was influenced by the limited quota for the hajj and the adjustment of the quota distribution nationally.

"With this year's quota of 980 pilgrims, the queue for Hajj in Papua could reach 28 years," he said in Nabire, Antara, Sunday, April 12.

Data on the quota for Papua, which has decreased from around 1,080 to 980 pilgrims, is in line with the policy of equalizing the national waiting time at around 26-28 years. The quota reduction was carried out to balance the queues between regions in Indonesia, considering that a number of regions have a much longer waiting time.

"In Papua, the queue is still 25 to 28 years, while in areas such as South Sulawesi it has been longer. So the areas with longer queues plus quotas, while the shorter ones are adjusted," he said.

According to him, the policy is part of the government's efforts to reduce the waiting time gap between provinces.

In total, the queue for Hajj in Papua currently reaches more than 25,000 people. With a quota of around 1,000 pilgrims per year, the average waiting time is in the range of 25 years and has now increased to around 28 years due to a reduction in quotas. The national policy itself targets an equal waiting time in all provinces of around 26 years.

Meanwhile, Indonesia's national Hajj quota this year is in the range of 221,000 pilgrims, with around 203,320 for regular Hajj and the rest special quotas.

Putra emphasized that the queue number was given based on the registration time, so that people who register earlier will have a better chance of leaving.

"The queue number is given based on the registration time, so the sooner you register, the sooner you get the opportunity to leave," he said.

He appealed to the public to continue to make efforts to register for the hajj early even though the waiting period is quite long.

"The pilgrimage is the fifth pillar of Islam, so it is important for Muslims to prepare themselves and not delay registration," he said.