Departing African pilgrims pass through immigration counter at Jeddah Islamic Port in this Oct. 3 file photo. Close to 3,000 Somali pilgrims from Somalia have reportedly refused to return home, citing the poor security and economic situation in their country. (SPA)

About 2,292 or 31.48 percent of this year’s Somali Hajis have reportedly refused to return home, citing the poor security and economic situation in their country.

This is according to the Tawafa Establishment for Pilgrims from Arab States, which stated that this was out of 7,280 pilgrims from Somalia, a local daily reported on Wednesday.

A source at the Haj Ministry said the pilgrims would be dealt with in accordance with the Kingdom’s residency and labor laws. The pilgrims would have to leave the country by Muharram 15 or Oct. 29, which is a requirement for all foreign Hajis.

“After this date they will be considered violators of the country’s residency and labor laws. Those who cannot leave the Kingdom for health reasons will be dealt with by the Passport Department in collaboration with the respective Haj affairs office,” said the source.

However, Ahmad Luqman, head of the Somali Haj Mission, has denied the accusation. He reportedly said there were some issues facing these pilgrims that would have to be dealt with after Oct. 29.

In addition, he said that 26 percent, not 31 percent of the Somali pilgrims have remained in the country. Also, 7,440 Somalis came for Haj, not 7,280 as indicated, he said.

Luqman said two planes carrying Somali pilgrims are leaving the Kingdom every night. On Monday, a group of 400 went home, he was quoted as saying in the report.

The Kingdom has had to deal with a similar situation in the past with Syrian pilgrims refusing to return to their war-torn country.

However, this was resolved by the National Coalition for the Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, the report stated.

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