MINA, 18 December 2007 — There are noticeably fewer pilgrims that appear to be squatting illegally, thanks to increased security measures, much to the delight of pilgrims who took the legal route to Mina.
Last year, illegal pilgrims were seen in any nook or cranny where a tent could be pitched. Security personnel were overwhelmed and had given up. This year, new security measures have been implemented to pre-empt the entry of these pilgrims. More checkpoints and scrutiny have been reported, especially of those dressed in ihram (the white robe male pilgrims wear before arrival).
Mina’s pedestrian bridge — in previous years a popular hangout for street vendors and squatters — is heavily manned by security and crowd-control personnel. Six 17-man police units are being used for the two-kilometer elevated walkway.
“The absence of squatters and pavement dwellers have made the flow of pilgrims smoother and safer,” said Saad Al-Masri, an Egyptian pilgrim.
The squatting at key points have in the past caused fatal crushes that have claimed the lives of hundreds over the years. No major incidences were reported during the last Haj when measures were boosted following a stampede in the early 2006 Haj.
The key points are Mina’s pedestrian bridge and the Jamrat stoning overpass, the latter of which is in the midst of receiving a SR4.2-billion expansion due to be completed next year.
Iranian pilgrim Ali Ahmad Al-Najafi, who is on his second Haj, said he was happy to see Mina easier to navigate, but questioned whether increasing costs in performing Haj through official tawafa organizations is contributing to the problem of illegal pilgrims.
“The way the cost of Haj has gone up, it has become difficult for many Saudis as well as expatriates to take up the pilgrimage with proper documentation and accommodation,” he said. “This leaves them with only one choice: To perform Haj on their own.”
While the Haj is not compulsory for those unable to do it physically or financially, Najafi said it’s virtually impossible to convince everyone who can’t afford these costs to forego the pilgrimage. “It’s mainly the cost factor which compels them to become ‘illegal’ pilgrims, and we must find out the ways to their satisfaction,” said pilgrim Saif Ullah Azam.
Ahead of this year’s Haj, Passport Department officers at checkpoints on roads leading to Makkah and Mina intensified their inspections of expatriates traveling to the holy sites to make sure that they have valid Haj permits.
Saleh Al-Zahrani, a security official in Mina, said Makkah police have set up 69 checkpoints on various roads leading to the tent city with the aim of closing every likely hole through which illegal pilgrims arrive.
The Ministry of Haj recently used satellite images provided by the Saudi Geological Survey to find at least 20 dirt roads that provided cover for the illegal pilgrims to sneak into Makkah unnoticed.
Nevertheless, illegal pilgrims have managed to enter Mina this year as well: They can be seen in their tents in the hills around Muzdalifa.
