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View all search resultsIndonesia, Philippines monitoring return of Indonesians from haj
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Muslim pilgrims conduct the Fajr prayer before sunrise outside the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Sept. 8. Muslim pilgrims have begun arriving at the holiest sites in Islam ahead of the annual haj in Saudi Arabia, with some weeping with their hands outstretched for a fleeting touch of the Kaaba. The cube-shaped shrine, at the center of Mecca's Grand Mosque, is the site the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims pray toward five times a day. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)
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ndonesia and the Philippines continue to monitor the return of Indonesians who have been accused of illegally going on the haj through Manila by using quota spots left over in the latter country, an Indonesian official has said.
"The legal processes in Indonesia and the Philippines have already begun after dozens of Indonesians were detected," the Foreign Ministry's director for the protection of Indonesian nationals and entities abroad, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, told reporters on Thursday.
Iqbal said the Philippines is entirely responsible for the identification of any illegal haj pilgrims. Undetected pilgrims would subsequently not be processed by Indonesia, he added.
A special team from Jakarta has been stationed in Manila to ensure identified pilgrims would have access to proper treatment and legal assistance.
The majority of the Indonesians who allegedly had previously passed through immigration on their way to Mecca are largely those who are familiar to the Filipino language and culture, Iqbal revealed, saying that this had allowed them to go undetected since they blended in.
They include citizens who resided in areas near the Philippines, such as Sabah in Malaysia and Sebatik in North Kalimantan.
Following discussions with the Philippines, Iqbal said it was estimated that around 700 of them were Indonesians who had posed as Filipino pilgrims. The remaining number are alleged to have been pilgrims from Malaysia and Singapore, both of which also have long waiting lines created by quota limitations. (bbn)
