JAKARTA - The Ministry of Hajj and the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) Jeddah reminded the public to be aware of various modes of illegal haj departure, following the tightening of the Saudi Arabian Government's policy on the implementation of the haj pilgrimage.
"It is important for the public to understand that the Government of Saudi Arabia only recognizes official Hajj visas as valid documents for performing the Hajj," said Director General of Bina PHU Kemenhaj, Puji Raharjo in his statement in Jakarta, Saturday, as quoted by Antara.
The statement was made by Puji after holding a meeting with the Indonesian Consul General in Jeddah, Yusron B. Ambary at the KJRI Jeddah Office.
Both parties agreed to strengthen public education so that Indonesian citizens (WNI) are not trapped in non-procedural Hajj practices.
The Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah, Yusron B. Ambary, reminded the public to ensure the type of visa they have before leaving and not be tempted by the lure of a fast Hajj departure.
"People should not be easily persuaded by the lure of a fast track. Pilgrimage visas, visit visas, or other documents outside the provisions cannot be used for hajj. Only the hajj visa issued by the Saudi authorities is accepted," said Yusron.
This warning is not without reason, he said, Saudi security forces have repeatedly cracked down on Indonesian citizens who try to perform the hajj using non-hajj visas.
The KJRI Jeddah noted various cases of pilgrims being arrested for using false Hajj attributes, fake identity cards, to visas whose data does not match the passport of the holder.
Yusron reminded that the consequences for violators are very heavy. In addition to failing to worship, the congregation who was caught illegally was threatened with sanctions in the form of large fines, deportation, and a ban on entering Saudi Arabia (cekal) for 10 years.
During the meeting, it was also discussed regarding the misunderstanding regarding the Dakhili Hajj (domestic Hajj). This route is intended for local Saudi citizens and expatriates with a valid residence permit (Iqamah) for at least one year.
This route is not a space to circumvent the departure of pilgrims from Indonesia who do not go through the official mechanism.
The public is also asked to be critical of the haj offer with the name Furoda or other packages that promise departure without queues.
"The public should not be fixated on the name of the package, but ensure the certainty of the haj visa, the legality of the organizer, and the appropriateness of the procedures with official government regulations," he said.
The Ministry of Religion and the Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah consider the need for strengthening cross-agency supervision and handling to prevent the emergence of victims of travel fraud.
Through massive education and improvement of the umrah data collection system that is more valid, it is hoped that the protection of Indonesian pilgrims can be maximized.
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