– Allegations have surfaced over the allocation of special “Besa Visas” for the Haj pilgrimage, with claims that wives of certain Haj Committee members have been granted the facility despite repeated assurances that the visas would be issued solely to Haj agents involved in pilgrimage arrangements.

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 facilitate travel and operational arrangements linked to the pilgrimage.

Until 2019, Sri Lanka reportedly received between 110 and 150 such visas annually. However, from 2023 onwards, the number allocated to Sri Lanka was reduced to 35.

The reduction has been attributed to a decrease in the number of Munazzam groups — the minimum operational groups assigned for Haj travel arrangements. While up to 45 Munazzam groups were permitted before 2019, the number was later reduced, leading to a corresponding cut in Besa visas.Although the visas were originally intended to facilitate operational work for Haj organizers and agents, controversy has persisted over who should be entitled to receive them. Over the years, ministers and officials overseeing Haj affairs have reportedly exercised discretion in allocating the visas, sometimes extending them to family members and political associates.

Critics allege that some agents with close political ties obtained additional visas beyond the allocations guaranteed for operational purposes. There have also been accusations in previous years that certain ministers used Haj Fund resources to cover expenses related to such trips. Traditionally, recipients of Besa visas only had to pay a small processing fee of less than Rs. 35,000, while some politically-backed recipients were allegedly provided services free of charge by agents seeking favourable consideration for future Haj quotas.Concerns have also been raised regarding accommodation arrangements in Mina, with allegations that Besa visa holders sought accommodation within tent allocations reserved for Sri Lankan Haj pilgrims, contributing to space shortages in previous years.

At the Haj media briefing for 2025, the newly appointed Haj Committee announced that all 35 Besa visas would be allocated exclusively to Haj agents. However, allegations later emerged that, after allocating two visas each to the six Munazzam groups, 11 of the remaining visas had been issued on ministerial recommendations.

At a subsequent media briefing held on November 5 for the 2026 Haj season, the Haj Committee again assured that all Besa visas would be strictly reserved for agents handling Haj arrangements.

However, controversy has intensified following allegations that a senior Haj Committee member who publicly defended that policy is now taking his wife for Haj under a Besa visa. It has also been alleged that another Haj Committee member, Dr. Aslam, is similarly taking his wife using the same visa category, reportedly with ministerial approval.

Some committee members have reportedly justified the move by arguing that allowing their family members to travel through ordinary Haj agents could create perceptions of favoritism toward specific agencies. They also maintain that the Haj service fees are being paid personally rather than being provided free of charge.

Questions have nevertheless been raised as to why similar privileges were not extended in previous years, including when a department director sought to take his wife for Haj.

Additional criticism has emerged over reports that the Haj Committee Chairman attended an office-opening ceremony organized by a Haj agent and discussed next year’s Haj arrangements there, raising concerns over possible bias toward particular agencies.

Further allegations claim that Besa visa holders this year paid only around Rs. 800,000 for Mina accommodation, Saudi service provider fees, and Haj Qurbani expenses. With airfare estimated at around Rs. 400,000, critics argue that the total cost of approximately Rs. 1.2 million is significantly lower than the expenses borne by ordinary Sri Lankan Haj pilgrims travelling under the official quota.It has also been alleged that the Saudi service provider selected this year arranged a separate Mina tent for Besa visa holders at nearly half the cost paid by regular Haj pilgrims.

Meanwhile, concerns have been raised regarding whether all recipients of the visas fulfilled mandatory training requirements conducted in Saudi Arabia last November, as stipulated by the Haj Committee itself.According to the allegations, after allocations made to the wives of two committee members, only 18 visas remained for agents, with three more reportedly issued to Deputy Minister Muneer Mulaffar, a media secretary, and a Covid-19 Janaza burial volunteer.

The remaining visas were reportedly distributed among a medical and administrative mission comprising four Haj Committee members, seven department officials, and one doctor.

Critics maintain that while operational and medical staff may legitimately require such visas, the longstanding practice of deploying those teams to Saudi Arabia several days before the departure of the first Haj group and keeping them there until the return of the final group has not consistently been followed.