The Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, made a strong statement: foreign tourists who break the law or disrespect Balinese culture will be deported without leniency.
He stated that he will no longer tolerate problematic foreigners. Koster demonstrated his resolve by visiting the Denpasar immigration office to oversee the deportation process of a 27-year-old American citizen, Mitchell McMahon. Under the influence of drugs, the man caused chaos in a hospital in South Kuta (Bukit).
“Today, as governor, I took the first step towards decisive action against tourists who misbehave in Bali. We will show no mercy. We hope this deportation serves as a lesson and warning to all foreign visitors: obey the laws and respect Balinese culture,” Koster said.
The incident with Mitchell happened early on April 12. He was brought to the Nusa Medica Pratama clinic unconscious. Upon waking, he started to cause trouble, hit a friend, and damaged hospital property. Due to threats to other patients, the administration called village security and the police.
After a drug test, traces of cannabis and cocaine were found in the violator's system. The substances were used 5-7 days before the incident, possibly already in Bali. Despite this, Mitchell was not prosecuted — there was no evidence of drug possession.
Later, the man admitted his guilt and paid 35 million rupiah in compensation to the clinic. Although the conflict was resolved peacefully, the authorities still took action — McMahon was deported on the evening of April 14. His visa on arrival was valid until May 1, 2025. He is also banned from re-entering Indonesia.
The head of Bali's immigration service confirmed that McMahon violated Article 406 of the Criminal Code (vandalism), Article 75 of the Immigration Law, and the aforementioned circular. Therefore, an administrative punishment was applied to him in the form of deportation and a ban on entry.
The Governor of Bali also noted that in other countries tourists behave appropriately, and it's surprising that upon arriving in Bali, some forget this: “If you go to Japan, the USA, Europe, or Australia — people everywhere follow the rules. Why, then, when they come to Bali, do they become unruly? This is unacceptable. No mercy for such actions!”
Since the beginning of 2025 (just 2.5 months), 128 foreigners have already been deported from Bali. Most of them were from Russia (32 people), followed by the USA (10), Ukraine (8), and 6 people each from Australia, India, and East Timor.
Koster also announced the development of a new regional law (Perda) that will tighten the rules of conduct for tourists. It will complement Circular No. 7 of 2025 on new regulations for foreign tourists. This will be part of an updated program "New Order for Foreign Tourists."
Source: nusabali.com
