The Gulf states don't take refugee because they didn't sign any treaty that legally recognizes refugees.
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Kuwait, Bahrain and other Gulf states are among the few nations in the world that have not signed a 1951 U.N. treaty on refugees. That's a key legal document that defines what a refugee is and spells out their rights and states' legal obligations. But since Gulf states haven't signed the treaty, any victim of war would need to meet the same standards as anyone else to obtain a visa.
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Refugee crisis: Europe takes many; Gulf states take none - CNN.com
Meanwhile, European countries did sign said treaty:
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he 1951 Refugee Convention was adopted after World War II, when hundreds of thousands of refugees were displaced across Europe.
The treaty defines what refugees are -- those who is seeking refuge from persecution. It also gives them a very important right -- the right to not be sent back home into harm's way, except under extreme circumstances.
"Since, by definition, refugees are not protected by their own governments, the international community steps in to ensure they are safe and protected," said the UNHCR, the United Nations' refugee agency.
The treaty was amended in 1967, in part to include refugees from around the world.
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Why some countries are obligated to take in refugees - CNN.com