The Union of Bakeries and Pastry Trade Unions of Lebanon asks the Minister of Labour, Mohammad Haidar, to extend the deadline for companies to regularize the situation of their foreign workers. The application comes a few days after the expiry on 30 September 2026 of the regularisation period provided for by the authorities. The sector wishes to continue discussions with the Ministry of Labour and the General Security in order to avoid disruption of the activities of the establishments by administrative procedures.
An application after the expiry of the 30 September deadline
In a press release issued on Monday 5 October, the Union presented the extension of the deadline for regularisation of foreign workers as one of the main issues discussed with Mohammad Haidar at a meeting held the previous week.
Bakery representatives welcomed the Minister’s opening and his willingness to maintain dialogue with professionals. Above all, they asked for a new period of time for establishments which have not completed their procedures to bring their foreign employees into line.
This request comes within a specific time frame. On 29 June, the Minister of Labour took decision No. 159 extending until 30 September 2026 the application of the system of regularization of persons in breach of the rules governing the work of foreigners. At the same time, the General Security Agency had asked individuals, companies and institutions employing illegal aliens to file their files with the Ministry of Labour no later than that date.
The scheme concerned Arab and foreign workers who entered Lebanon legally to work but subsequently became in breach of the rules on residence or employment. This could include a transfer of guarantors, a change of status or a change of occupational category.
The administrative route did not stop at the Ministry of Labour. Employers had to first declare the employees concerned and apply for regularisation and work permits. A procedure with the regional centres of the General Security was then to obtain a residence permit corresponding to the actual nature of employment.
Why bakeries are calling for a new extension
The Union considers that institutions need more time to complete these procedures in a legal and orderly manner. In its October 5 communiqué, it stated that Mohammad Haidar had expressed his understanding of the request and had undertaken to examine the grounds for an extension.
However, this is not, at this stage, an official extension announcement. The deadline of 30 September has expired and the Union declaration concerns a request addressed to the Minister. The union now hopes that this will lead to a new decision by the competent authorities.
This distinction is important for employers. In June, when the previous extension had been decided, the Ministry had called on the persons concerned to complete their formalities before the deadline in order to avoid legal action or action after the end of the period granted.
The General Security also warned that, after the end of the regularization period, monitoring would be carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour throughout Lebanon. The measures announced were intended to cover both the employers in breach and the workers concerned.
The request of the bakeries therefore comes after the expiry of this deadline and aims to reopen an administrative window allowing the establishments to continue to bring their labour into conformity.
Regularization of foreign workers: an old case in bakeries
The subject has been an important part of the discussions between industry representatives and the state since the beginning of 2026. In January, the Union had already placed work permits and residence permits at the centre of its discussions with the authorities.
The issue then became more important with measures to regulate foreign labour, including Syrian workers employed in bakeries. At the end of July, the Union had publicly supported the principle of legalisation of situations by obtaining work permits and regularising residence permits.
However, it considered that the time allocated to institutions was insufficient to process all files. Its argument was based in particular on the complexity of the formalities and on the particular characteristics of the sector. The bakeries thus request that the application of the rules take account of the operational constraints of the enterprises without abandoning the principle of regularisation.
This position clarifies the request made on 5 October. The Union does not call for the abandonment of the obligations applicable to foreign workers. On the contrary, it states that it wants to keep the establishments within the legal framework, but wishes to have an additional time to finalize the procedures.
A dialogue with the Ministry and the General Security
Beyond the issue of timing, the Union wishes to continue discussions on a number of points which it still considers could be reconsidered. It calls for this work to be carried out in coordination between the Ministry of Labour and the Directorate-General for General Security.
This coordination is directly linked to the procedure itself. The regularisation combines two dimensions: the authorization to work, which falls under the Ministry of Labour, and the situation of stay, which is dealt with with with the General Security. For a company, the full compliance of a foreign employee therefore implies that these administrative procedures can be followed.
The Union also stresses the « specificity » of bakeries and the specific working conditions of the sector. It does not detail in its Monday communiqué any new series of technical measures. His immediate claim remains the extension of the regularization period and the continuation of discussions with the administrations concerned.
Relations between the sector and the authorities had already seen several rounds of negotiations this year. In January, bakery representatives had referred to progress on the work permit issue after discussions with the department. By July, they had again requested more time to settle foreign workers.
The immediate issue is now Mohammad Haidar’s response. The Union thanks the Minister for his attitude at last week’s meeting and looks forward to a decision in favour of his request.
No new deadline announced yet
At this stage, no new date is mentioned in the EU Communiqué. The last formal deadline was 30 September 2026. A possible extension would therefore require further action by the authorities.
For bakeries, the issue goes beyond the administrative management of individual files. The Union links regularisation to the continuity of the operations of establishments and seeks to avoid the disruption of checks or documentary difficulties in a sector responsible for producing bread and other bakery products on a daily basis.
It also states that any solution must safeguard the rights of the State, companies and workers. This line aims to reconcile the application of foreign labour rules with the constraints of a sector which has been demanding administrative treatment for several months in line with its operating conditions.
The next step now depends on the Ministry of Labour and Coordination with the General Security. The concrete point expected by the professionals is a decision on whether or not to reopen the deadline which expired on 30 September, as well as on the duration of a possible new regularisation period.
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