The National Hajj Task Force has issued an apology to Ghanaian pilgrims who were unable to participate in this year’s pilgrimage to Mecca, attributing the setbacks to circumstances beyond its control.

The affected individuals include those who encountered issues with visa acquisition and travel documentation.

Speaking on behalf of the Task Force, Head of Corporate Affairs, Alhaji A.B.A Fuseini, acknowledged the frustrations experienced by some pilgrims and pledged improvements in subsequent arrangements.

“Those pilgrims who paid but were not able to go and had visa problems, we will deal with them, so we can take them along, as well as those on the protocol side,” he said.

“I need to prefix that with an apology to our pilgrims who, in one way or another, have not been able to fly. I want to apologise to them and seek their forgiveness for our inability to carry them now.”

The Task Force also confirmed that two Ghanaian pilgrims passed away in Mecca during the 2025 Hajj. Despite the challenges, approximately 6,000 Ghanaian pilgrims successfully made the journey to Saudi Arabia.

Additionally, five individuals were sent back to Ghana due to complications with their travel documentation.

Alhaji Fuseini addressed this situation by clarifying the terminology used. “Some said they were deported, but we choose to use the word ‘repatriated.’

Deportation connotes some criminality, but these people who have returned have not committed any crime. It was an error in the issuance of their visa,” he explained.

He further noted that efforts were being made to rectify the situation and allow the affected individuals to complete their pilgrimage.

“Some attempts to realign the visas resulted in some unfortunate mistakes where their visas were withdrawn. I can assure you that we are making every effort to get them to go back,” he added.