Indonesian immigration officials have prohibited two Dutch citizens from returning to the country after they organized an unauthorized running event accused of discriminating against local residents.

The event, hosted by the expat-oriented Entourage Bali group, sparked significant controversy following online reports suggesting that Indonesian applicants were turned away while international participants were welcomed.

The Dutch nationals, aged 35 and 37, departed Bali for Singapore prior to the announcement of the ban and are now barred from re-entering Indonesia, according to officials.

Bali, renowned as Indonesia's premier tropical destination, has attracted numerous digital nomads recently, leading to increased friction between expatriates and the local population.

Claims of bias in Entourage Bali's running club have revived resentment toward foreigners seen as entitled and forming insular groups on the island.

On Sunday, Bali Governor I Wayan Koster pledged to implement "strict measures" to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

Immigration officials noted that the two Dutch individuals breached immigration regulations by staging the running event without necessary approvals.

In a Friday statement, Entourage Bali asserted that its run clubs were "open for everyone, including non-digital nomads".

Indonesians represented the largest participant group, accounting for nearly 25% of the tickets, the group claimed.

It attributed issues to "errors in the automated approval process" for its chat groups, which "incorrectly rejected" certain Indonesian-registered numbers.

"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.

"Being a digital nomad is not defined by nationality. Our community includes members from many countries, including Indonesia."

Entourage Bali announced it is suspending all events temporarily and "promise we will make real changes going forward".

The group had successfully organized a run in May, with social media images depicting a large crowd, mostly foreigners, jogging along streets while wearing headphones. The activity was promoted as a "disco run".

However, following Entourage Bali's announcement for a run on 22 July, online accusations emerged alleging that organizers preferred foreigners over locals.

A woman shared on social media that her application was delayed due to her Indonesian name and number, whereas her husband with a Western name and number was approved promptly.

Authorities have committed to enforcing rules against foreigners conducting commercial activities illegally on the island.

"There should not be a state within a state," Indonesia's immigration chief Hendarsam Marantoko stated to reporters last week.

"We consider this running club to be functioning as a 'state within a state," he said.

Additional reporting by Liza Tambunan in Jakarta