It started pinch a rejected moving nine application.
Within days, a conflict complete whether a Bali running club had discriminated against Indonesians drew the attraction of migration authorities and sparked a broader statement astir the domiciled of foreigners connected the island.
On July 24, Indonesian migration officials announced they had barred 2 Dutch nationals from re-entering the state complete their engagement pinch Entourage Bali's silent disco moving event. The move followed authorities' concerns astir really the arena was organized, including suspected migration violations and favoritism against section residents.
Authorities said the 2 individuals, identified by the initials JAS and HQV, had near Indonesia connected July 23.
Hendarsam Marantoko, Indonesia's apical migration official, said during a property convention successful Jakarta that authorities took action because they believed the arena was not successful statement pinch Indonesia's migration rules, per state news agency Antara.
Under those rules, foreigners are not permitted to shape activities that autumn extracurricular the scope of their residence permits, he said.
"We see this moving nine to beryllium functioning arsenic a 'state wrong a state'," Marantoko said.
He besides said he instructed Bali migration officials to analyse the event's organizers and return action against immoderate overseas nationals recovered to person violated migration regulations.
How it started
The investigation stemmed from respective societal media posts complete the past week that said Entourage Bali had rejected Indonesian applicants while accepting foreigners. Some posts included screenshots that appeared to show messages exchanged pinch the moving club.
In a statement posted connected Instagram, Entourage Bali apologized to those who felt "offended and hurt," saying it had ne'er intended to discriminate. The group said they made "errors successful the automated support process" connected their WhatsApp groups, causing "some," but "not all" Indonesian telephone numbers to beryllium "incorrectly rejected."
The group besides shared attendance information from its July 22 silent disco run, saying 22 of the 94 registrations — astir 23% — were Indonesian, the largest nationalist group represented. It besides said it was pausing each activities and events "for now." Entourage Bali did not respond to a petition for remark sent by Business Insider.
In the days that followed, respective different celebrated moving clubs successful Bali, including Rise Run Bali and Far Ubud Run Club, announced connected societal media that they would temporarily halt their ain events.
The Entourage Bali rumor besides drew disapproval from salient Indonesians, including Bali legislator Ni Luh Djelantik, who said successful an Instagram post that she had raised the rumor pinch Indonesia's migration authorities.
"Bali is welcoming, but our hospitality should ne'er beryllium mistaken for a licence to disrespect us," she wrote successful her caption.
Djelantik added that 1 of the organizers had sent her an apology, but said it did not alteration her position that they should return to Indonesia and return work for their actions.
A tougher stance connected foreigners
The Entourage Bali lawsuit is the latest successful a bid of incidents involving foreigners that person fueled statement complete their spot connected the celebrated vacation island, which welcomed astir 7 cardinal world visitors successful 2025 — much than its organization of astir 4.5 million.
The authorities has stepped up immigration. Between January and June this year, Bali migration authorities deported 342 overseas nationals. For comparison, Bali deported 378 overseas nationals in the first 9 months of 2024 and 335 passim 2023.
Earlier this year, Bali politician Wayan Koster besides introduced caller rules for overseas visitors and urged the nationalist to study suspected violations done an charismatic WhatsApp hotline.
The Entourage lawsuit comes soon aft respective different high-profile incidents involving foreigners successful Bali.
In April, Bali migration officials deported an Italian man aft a video of him getting into a beingness altercation pinch a postulation constabulary serviceman went viral. The pursuing month, authorities announced they had detained 62 foreigners arsenic portion of a three-week cognition targeting those suspected of violating immigration laws.
Taken together, the actions bespeak Bali's progressively assertive attack to enforcing migration rules arsenic the land grapples pinch grounds tourism and increasing scrutiny of the domiciled foreigners play successful section life.
Read next
Amanda is simply a elder manner newsman astatine Business Insider's Singapore bureau.Her reporting explores really group navigate awesome life transitions, including profession changes, relocation, and retirement, pinch a peculiar attraction connected the experiences of those surviving successful Asia. She besides writes astir travel, culture, wellness, and relationships.In 2025, she won the Singapore Press Club's Rising Stars Young Digital Journalist Award.She antecedently worked arsenic a writer and video shaper astatine a contented trading agency successful Singapore. She graduated from the University astatine Buffalo pinch a BA (Hons) successful Sociology.Got a tip? Reach her astatine [email protected].Selected stories:
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