Indonesia’s immigration authorities have imposed entry bans on two Dutch nationals following allegations that a running club they organized in Bali discriminated against local Indonesians in favor of foreign participants. The two men, aged 35 and 37, had already departed for Singapore before the ban was formally announced and will not be permitted to return to Indonesia.
The running club, operated under the name Entourage Bali, came under scrutiny after testimonies surfaced online suggesting the organization had rejected applications from Indonesian nationals while approving those from foreigners. The controversy intensified when Entourage Bali announced registration for a run scheduled for July 22, prompting social media users to share accounts of alleged discriminatory treatment. One woman reported that her application was delayed due to her Indonesian name and phone number, while her spouse with a Western name and number gained immediate acceptance.
Immigration authorities stated that the two Dutch men violated Indonesian immigration regulations by organizing the event without securing the necessary permits. In response to the incident, Bali Governor I Wayan Koster pledged to enforce strict measures to prevent similar occurrences moving forward. Indonesia’s immigration chief Hendarsam Marantoko characterized the situation as problematic, stating that such activities amounted to functioning as a “state within a state” and vowing stronger enforcement against foreigners engaged in unlawful commercial operations on the island.
Entourage Bali released a statement asserting that its clubs were accessible to all individuals, including non-digital nomads, and claimed Indonesians comprised nearly 25 percent of ticket holders for the event. The organization attributed the rejection of some applications to technical errors in its automated approval system for chat group membership and announced it would temporarily suspend all events while implementing changes to its operations.
The incident reflects broader tensions that have emerged in Bali between expatriate communities and local residents, particularly as the island has attracted growing numbers of foreign digital workers in recent years.
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