Riaydh, Apr 29: The Ministry of Haj has warned hotels and other accommodation facilities against seizing passports of pilgrims under any circumstances, cautioning that punitive action will be taken if irregularities are detected.
Muhammad Al-Bijawi, director of the ministry’s Madinah branch, said that no party in the Kingdom is entitled to withhold passports, explaining that this decree has been issued by the country’s highest authority.
“In cases where passports are required, individuals can provide photocopies of their passports. However, hotels are forbidden to withhold passports on the grounds of protecting their financial rights. Anyone who confiscates a passport will be considered a violator and will be dealt with accordingly,” he added.
He explained that in some instances Umrah service companies withhold passports to facilitate the organization of the group and to ensure pilgrims do not misplace their passports, pointing out that even that practice is forbidden.
Al-Bijawi revealed that there are distinct penalties for different categories of violators saying: “If the violator is a landlord, the Tourism Commission will impose the penalty. But if the violation was committed by the Umrah facilitating company and if it was proved that they held the passports in order to restrain and control the pilgrims’ movements, they will be sent for interrogation and penalized according to the regulations of their respective countries,” he said.
The Ministry of Haj’s branches in the holy cities are conducting regular field visits to detect violations and enforce appropriate measures.
In a related case, a court in Madinah is investigating a case filed by the Bureau of Investigation and General Prosecution regarding a hotel owner who had held the passports of 15 pilgrims and did not return them on time, causing a delay in their departure. The hotel owner justified his move, saying he wanted to ensure he received his financial dues from the contracting firm.
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