Saudi authorities evict 300,000 unregistered pilgrims from Makkah before Hajj

Saudi Arabia announced on Saturday that security forces have removed hundreds of thousands of unauthorized pilgrims from Makkah ahead of the upcoming annual Hajj pilgrimage.

According to Saudi officials, managing the crowd during Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is a significant challenge. Last year, the pilgrimage drew more than 1.8 million Muslims, as reported by AFP.

Among those turned away from the holy city, which houses the Grand Mosque and the Kaaba, were 153,998 foreigners who had traveled on tourist visas rather than the required Hajj visas, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. Additionally, Saudi authorities have rounded up 171,587 individuals who are based in Saudi Arabia but are not residents of Makkah and lacked Hajj permits, according to SPA.

The Hajj, starting on June 14, must be undertaken at least once by all Muslims who have the means. It involves a series of rituals performed over at least four days in Makkah and its surroundings in western Saudi Arabia. Many attempt to complete the rites through unofficial channels, as obtaining the formal permits and travel packages can be prohibitively expensive, with limited quotas for pilgrims from each country.

This latest move by Saudi officials aims to prevent a recurrence of the 2015 stampede in Mina, near Makkah, which killed up to 2,300 people during the stoning of the devil ritual.

As of Saturday, over 1.3 million registered pilgrims had arrived in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj, according to Makkah regional authorities on X.