Allegations have emerged over the allocation of special “Besa Visas” for the Haj pilgrimage, with claims that the wives of certain Haj Committee members were granted the facility despite assurances that the visas would only be issued to Haj agents involved in pilgrimage operations.
The “Besa Visa,” also known as a Free Movement Pass, is issued by the Saudi Haj Ministry in addition to the official Haj quota allocated to each country to support travel and operational arrangements related to the pilgrimage.
Sri Lanka had reportedly received between 110 and 150 such visas annually until 2019. However, the number allocated to the country was reduced to 35 from 2023 onwards due to a reduction in the nmber of Munazzam groups assigned for Haj travel operations.
Concerns have also been raised over the eligibility of some visa recipients and whether they fulfilled mandatory training requirements conducted in Saudi Arabia last November, as required by the Haj Committee.
According to the allegations, after visas were allocated to the wives of two committee members, only 18 visas remained for Haj agents. Three additional visas were reportedly issued to Deputy Minister Muneer Mulaffar, a media secretary, and a Covid-19 Janaza burial volunteer.
The remaining visas were allegedly distributed among members of a medical and administrative mission, including Haj Committee officials, department officers, and a doctor.
Critics argue that while operational and medical staff may legitimately require such visas, the longstanding practice of deploying those teams to Saudi Arabia ahead of the first Haj group and keeping them there until the final group’s return has not always been properly followed.
