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Indonesia’s immigration authorities have banned two Dutch nationals for organising an illegal running event that had also allegedly discriminated against locals.<\/b><\/p>\n
The run organised by the expatriate-focused group Entourage Bali drew heated backlash after testimonies circulated online that the club had appeared to reject Indonesian applicants while accepting foreigners.<\/p>\n
The two Dutchmen aged 35 and 37, left Bali for Singapore before the ban was announced. They will not be allowed back to Indonesia, authorities said.<\/p>\n
Bali, Indonesia’s famed tropical paradise, has become a hostspot for digital nomads in recent years, resulting in growing tensions between expats and locals. <\/p>\n
The allegations of discrimination against Entourage Bali’s run club has reignited anger at foreigners who are perceived to be acting with entitlement and building exclusive communities on the island.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, Bali Governor I Wayan Koster vowed to take “strict action” to ensure such incidents do not happen again.<\/p>\n
Immigration authorities said the two Dutch men had violated immigration laws by organising the running event without obtaining permits.<\/p>\n
In a statement posted on Friday, Entourage Bali said that its run clubs were “open for everyone, including non-digital nomads”.<\/p>\n
Indonesians made up the largest group of participants, holding nearly 25% of the tickets, it said.<\/p>\n
It pointed to “errors in the automated approval process” for its chat groups, which “incorrectly rejected” some numbers registered in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
“Entourage was created as a community for digital nomads in Bali to help people who are new to the island connect with others and do fun activities together during their stay,” the statement said.<\/p>\n
“Being a digital nomad is not defined by nationality. Our community includes members from many countries, including Indonesia.”<\/p>\n
Entourage Bali said it was pausing all its events for now and “promise we will make real changes going forward”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n