The term "boat people" primarily refers to refugees from Vietnam who fled their country in the years following the Vietnam War, particularly in the late 1970s and early 1980s. After the fall of Saigon in 1975, many Vietnamese faced persecution, economic hardship, and political repression under the new communist regime. To escape these conditions, countless individuals and families embarked on dangerous sea journeys in fragile boats, fleeing to neighboring countries or seeking asylum in more distant lands.
These refugees often faced perilous conditions at sea, including overcrowding, storms, pirates, and the risk of capsizing. Many were rescued by international humanitarian organizations or were picked up by naval vessels from countries like the United States, Australia, and Canada.
The term "boat people" is also used more broadly to refer to any group of refugees or migrants who travel by boat to escape danger or seek better opportunities, but it is most closely associated with the Vietnamese refugees from that specific historical context.