At least 150 Iranians traveling to Saudi Arabia to attend the annual Hajj pilgrimage have been deported from the country after allegedly entering the country with forged visas, the Iranian foreign ministry reported on Thursday. According to the ministry's reports, the pilgrims were arrested on October 31 in Medina – the beginning city for the five-day pilgrimage to Mecca – and the Sauid government has said the visas were forged. However, the Iranians say their vissas were issued in the Iranian city of Mashhad by the Saudi consulate there. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hassan Qashqavi said on October 31 that the country's Foreign Ministry is negotiating with Saudi officials to resolve the issue. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said the pilgrims should have applied through Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization for visas, but that some of them obtained visas by other means. “There is a network that issues fake visas,” he said. “Pilgrims should only get visas from the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization.” Mehmanparast said similar problems occurred last year. He has called on Saudi Arabia to introduce visa-free travel during the hajj. BM
