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Jakarta seeks solution for pilgrims posing as Filipinos in Mecca
The government is seeking solutions for hundreds of Indonesian haj pilgrims in Mecca, Saudi Arabia that had posed as Filipino pilgrims so they could return directly to Jakarta instead of Manila to ease the investigation process, a minister said on Wednesday.
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Haj pilgrims board an aircraft at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, East Java, on Tuesday, Aug.9, 2016. (JP/Wahyoe Boediwardhana)
T
he government is seeking solutions for hundreds of Indonesian haj pilgrims in Mecca that had posed as Filipino pilgrims so they can return directly to Jakarta instead of Manila to ease an investigation into the case, a minister said on Wednesday.
An estimated 500 to 700 Indonesians haj pilgrims passed Philippine immigration and entered Saudi Arabia using fake Filipino passports. They currently on the haj in Mecca, using seats from the Philippine's haj quota, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly said.
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has met and raised the issue with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Allowing the Indonesians to return directly to Indonesiawill allow law enforcement and related institutions to commence a probe into the case to find the perpetrators behind the illegal dispatching of the pilgrims, he said.
"[Duterte] has agreed that the pilgrims don't have to return to the Philippines, but they will be directed toIndonesia. They have been declared victims. Identity fraud is a crime in the Philippines, however due to our good bilateral relations, [Manila] has agreed to cooperate," Yasonna said on Wednesday.
The ministry has intensified cooperation with the Indonesian Embassy in Saudi Arabia and the Religious Affairs Ministry to find all Indonesian pilgrims using Filipino passports in Mecca. As soon as all pilgrims are identified, the officials will take further measures to arrange for their return to the country.
The case emerged after Philippine authorities detained 177 Indonesians for using fake Philippine passports on their way to Mecca last month. (rin)
