Alhaji Ben Abdallah Banda, Chairman, Ghana Hajj Board
The Ghana Hajj Board and the Ghana Hajj Agents Association have jointly warned persons abusing Saudi visas that this time tough sanctions including a jail term awaits such abusers.
The two bodies have issued a joint statement on the subject and pointing out that some holders of Ummrah (lesser Hajj) and Tourist visas use same for the Hajj, which constitutes a breach of Saudi laws.
The reaction of the Ghana Hajj Board and the Ghana Hajj Agents Association follows a statement from the Saudi Ministry of Hajj warning that it is illegal to do so and culprits risk being jailed for five years and banned for life after serving the sentence.
“The Ghana Hajj Board and Ghana Hajj Agents Association do hereby express concern about the abuse of the Saudi tourist and Ummrah visas by some persons,” the statement stressed.
The anomaly, the joint statement noted “per the laws of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia it is illegal to do Hajj with either Ummrah or Tourist visa.”
Continuing, the statement explained that “some people with the connivance of a few Hajj agents are allegedly perpetrating this illegality. The illegality is threatening the integrity of the management of the annual pilgrimage.”
The statement went on, “notice is hereby given to holders of such visas (non Hajj) the Ministry of Hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has issued several warnings and accompanying sanctions which include a five-year prison term for such violators, an outright and indefinite ban from entering the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after the serving the sentence.”
Explaining how the perpetrators of the anomaly operate, the statement reveals “the violators of the Hajj regulation obtain tourist or Ummrah visas and illegally extend their stay after which they infiltrate the camp of Ghana Hajj Board pilgrims, to perform the pilgrimage to the detriment of the main body of Ghanaian pilgrims.”
The statement notes also that such violators are the source of the bulk of the challenges encountered by the Ghana Hajj Board every year.
When the non-Hajj visa holders infiltrate the Ghanaian camp, they illegally access facilities such as accommodation and transport, including partaking in the meals meant for our pilgrims, a conduct which creates logistical challenges for the Board, the statement expatiated.
Fresh and drastic measures announced by the Board include “collaboration with Saudi security agents for the arrest of such persons.”
The measures also include the suspension from Hajj operations of agents who connive in the perpetration of the illegality under review.
By A.R. Gomda