Prostitution is nominally legal in Lebanon. Officially, Lebanese law requires that brothels be licensed, a process that includes regular testing of workers for disease. However, in an attempt to gradually eliminate legal prostitution in the country, current government policy is to not issue new licenses for brothels. As a result, most prostitution now occurs illegally. The majority of prostitutes in Lebanon emigrate from neighboring Arab countries. Those prostitutes working in adult clubs (called "super night clubs") are closely monitored by the Sûreté Générale—the border control agency. . Since no evidence has ever been provided to prove her involvement in being an escort, she was never prosecuted or convicted.
Their residency permits do not exceed six months, and they are deported if they are caught overstaying their permits. Most prostitutes in Lebanon enter the country knowing that they will be working in adult clubs.
Cases of child prostitution are known and prosecuted, however no measures are taken to rehabilitate these juveniles.
The Daily Star, Friday, April 16, 2010: Experts and activists, among them Gunilla S. Ekberg, a Swedish lawyer, feminist and human rights expert, in light of the relationship between prostitution and violence against women, advocate that prostitution be made illegal in Lebanon.
The Civil War in Syria has led to an influx of Syrian refugees into the sex trade in Lebanon. Some adult refugee women have been coerced into prostitution. A forced prostitution ring, run by a Syrian pimp, was dismantled in 2016 by Lebanese police, which raided the Chez Maurice and le Silver brothels, both located in the Maameltein, known for its red-light district.
In December 2016, a new illegal prostitution ring was discovered in Beirut. Known as "Chez Yousef", the ring covers the areas of Raucheh and Hamra. According to the New York Times, the newly discovered prostitution ring is the largest found to date, and it is managed and operated by two individuals