In the movie his country fell apart while he was traveling so they didn't recognize his passport.

Something like this happened in Seattle when the Soviet Union fell apart. There was a Soviet ship at the pier, the crew did not have visas so could not leave the boat. Since the Soviet Union was collapsing they had no access to money to buy fuel or food so couldn't leave. It seems like it took a few weeks before they were able to come up with fuel and church groups kept bringing the food.