Many of the Yemeni refugees fled to Malaysia first, because Malaysia allows a three-month stay visa-free.[13] Of the few countries which do not require visas for Yemenis, Malaysia was favored as the initial destination, mostly due to the cultural similarities deriving from sharing a common Islamic religious tradition. However, Malaysia is not a signatory of the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention, and therefore avoids the legal obligation to protect the rights of the displaced.