The phenomenon of attempting to migrate from Bangladesh through maritime routes has been an issue of concern for a considerable period of time. Migrants are motivated by different reasons and come from different backgrounds and locations. While there are Rohingyas in this group, there are also Bangladeshi nationals wanting to migrate to improve the economic situation. It is difficult to categorize them distinctively as forced or voluntary migrants.

Therefore, the issue is labeled as multiple concepts like boat migration, mixed maritime migration, and irregular boat migration. While there might be disagreements over scholarly categorization, there is none over the magnitude of challenges the issue poses on national and regional migration governance. It also exposes the loopholes in the migration governance system at the national and regional levels.