Saudi Arabia bans visas for 14 counties, including India, ahead of Hajj: Here is why Indian Muslims are barred – unauthorised entries, overstaying visit and more
The Saudi government has suspended issuing visas to citizens of 14 nations, including India, ahead of the Hajj pilgrimage season. The other affected countries include Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen.
According to reports, the last date for issuing visas to Muslims living in these countries for Umrah is 13th April. New visas henceforth would be issued after the end of the Hajj, which is set to commence in June.
The development comes after the Saudi Arabian government in February this year suspended 1-year multiple-entry visas indefinitely for these 14 countries and limited travel to single-entry visas for 30 days.
Why did the Saudi govt make such a decision?
It has come to light that Muslims travelling to Saudi Arabia from India, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen have repeatedly violated visa rules.
They have entered the Gulf nation on a visit visa or Umrah and overstayed to participate in the Hajj.
Many Muslims from these 14 countries did not bother to register through official channels and openly flouted the quota system of Saudi Arabia, which has been designed to limit/ regulate the number of pilgrims.
The Saudi government had blamed these violations of visa rules for the 2024 Hajj extreme heat disaster, where 1301 people lost their lives.
The overcrowding caused by Muslims from these 14 nations, including India, through unauthorised participation in the Hajj creates massive issues in lodging, transportation, and healthcare.
In light of the situation, the Saudi government had warned unregistered Muslim pilgrims of a 5-year entry ban in the country. Indian Muslims have also repeatedly misused visa rules to overstay and participate in the Hajj, flouting country-specific quotas.
Saudi warns Pakistan over influx of beggars
In September 2024, the Saudi Arabian government issued a strong warning to Pakistan regarding the increasing number of Pakistani beggars entering the country under the pretext of Umrah. Saudi authorities cautioned that if Islamabad fails to take appropriate action, it could negatively impact the religious and interpersonal relations between the two nations.
“The Saudi Ministry of Hajj has issued a warning to Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs, urging action to prevent Pakistani beggars from entering the kingdom under Umrah visas,” reported Pakistan’s Express Tribune newspaper.
In response, Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs has announced plans to implement an “Umrah Act” to regulate travel agencies organizing Umrah trips, bringing them under legal oversight.
Additionally, the ministry has urged the Pakistani government to explore measures to prevent beggars from travelling to Saudi Arabia under the pretence of religious pilgrimage.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assured Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Ahmed Al-Malki that stringent measures will be enforced against the criminal networks responsible for sending beggars to Saudi Arabia. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been assigned to spearhead this crackdown, focusing on dismantling the mafias that facilitate the illegal entry of beggars into the Kingdom.
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