The Lebanese civil war refugees were mostly expelled as groups between 1975 and 1989. They often came to Europe as extended families. The wealthy and businesspeople went to England, France, and Southern Europe. Some who had relatives here, but especially those without foreign contacts, discovered Germany. In West Germany, they were tolerated and distributed among the individual federal states according to quotas. Since the war dragged on for over a decade, the first regulations for long-term refugees were enacted in 1984. However, the legal status of many remains uncertain to this day. With few exceptions, the Lebanese refugees live in two main areas in Germany: Berlin and the Ruhr region, specifically in the city of Essen. They form a distinct social milieu with its own culture and religious centers for Christians, Druze, Shiites, and Sunnis.