Many migrants are without official documentation due to the employment system in Lebanon, known as kafala, in which workers are bound by a sponsorship system between employer and employee, putting workers at total subordination to the will of their employers that has created ripe conditions for abuse.
As such, employers often confiscate passports or fail to renew work permits, leaving workers in effect “illegal” in Lebanon, while others run away from abusive households and seek refuge in consulates or local charities.