inp.polri.go.id - Sorong. Minister of Hajj and Umrah Mochamad Irfan Yusuf confirmed that the government continues to improve the Hajj waiting list system to ensure transparency and fair service for prospective pilgrims, including in the provinces of West Papua and Southwest Papua.

According to him, one of the steps the government has taken is to thoroughly verify the waiting list data to ensure that all names listed are legitimate prospective pilgrims.

Irfan stated that nationally, the number of people waiting on the Hajj waiting list has now reached around 5.8 million and continues to grow every year.

"The number of people waiting on the Hajj nationally has reached around 5.8 million people and continues to grow every year, as new registrants consistently exceed 200,000," said Irfan during an evaluation meeting on the departure and return of Hajj pilgrims for 1447 Hijri/2026 AD, held in Sorong City, Southwest Papua, on Friday (7/17/2026).

He explained that the verification process is carried out to ensure the status of each prospective pilgrim, including tracing if the person concerned has died, changed domicile, or transferred rights to heirs according to the provisions.

In addition, the government is cracking down on the misuse of Hajj quotas that has occurred in the past, both for regular and special Hajj.

"This year, we are ensuring that there will be no more queue switching or payment misuse. If a prospective special Hajj pilgrim cancels their travel payment, their quota will be immediately given to the next prospective pilgrim in line," explained Irfan.

He emphasized that the government is committed to preventing the practice of individuals performing Hajj multiple times in a short period of time.

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