Sudanese refugees in Israel refers to citizens of Sudan who have sought refuge in Israel due to military conflict at home, and to those who moved there illegally as migrant workers. In 2008, there were 4,000 Sudanese in Israel, 1,200 from Darfur and the remainder Christians from South Sudan. The majority entered through the Israeli-Egypt border. Most live in Tel Aviv, Arad, Eilat and Bnei Brak.

The civil wars in Sudan that have been taking place on and off since 1955, the subsequent destabilization and economic collapse caused by the country's infrastructure and economy, and the fighting in Darfur, forced millions of Sudanese civilians to flee their homes and cities. In 2006, largely owing to the extensive flow of Sudanese and Eritreans crossing into Israel by land from Egypt, Israel witnessed a significant rise in the number of asylum seekers. While in 2005 only 450 applications were registered, the number for 2008 had risen to 7,700.

Sudanese asylum seekers began arriving in Israel in increasing numbers starting around 2006. Most had initially sought refuge in Egypt after fleeing conflict in Sudan, particularly from the Darfur region and South Sudan. However, deteriorating living conditions, legal restrictions, and lack of durable solutions in Egypt prompted many to continue onward. This movement is widely described as a case of secondary or onward migration, in which refugees move from their first country of asylum in search of greater safety, legal status, or economic opportunity.

From 2006 to 2012, thousands of Sudanese and Eritrean migrants entered Israel, often facing serious dangers en route, including abuse by Sinai-based traffickers. In response, Israel introduced a series of restrictive immigration policies, including the construction of a border fence and changes to its asylum procedures, aimed at reducing unauthorized entry.

In 2012, due to a near-doubling in the flow of African seeking refugee status, Israel began building a fence along the border and publicized plans to build a detention facility for infiltrators.

In spite of the risks and abusive treatment by smugglers, smuggler networks run by Bedouin groups in the Sinai desert have transported growing numbers of Sudanese and other African asylum seekers across to Israel.

Israel supported the founding of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, becoming a signatory to the Convention in 1954. But although it actively participated in the development of the international refugee system, Israel did not institute the corresponding legal framework at home.

Following pressure from UNHCR, a temporary humanitarian protection arrangement was established in 1999, benefiting refugees from war-torn countries in Africa. In 2002, an Israeli asylum procedure was established with the launch of the National Status Granting Body, an inter-ministerial agency responsible for assessing asylum applications processed by UNHCR Israel, advising the minister of the interior, who held the authority on final decisions.