This chapter examines the historical, legal, and political foundations of the Rohingya refugee crisis, positioning it within the broader context of forced displacement, statelessness, and environmental vulnerability. The Rohingya, a Muslim minority group from Myanmar’s Rakhine State, have faced systematic discrimination, exclusion, and persecution for decades, culminating in mass displacement and statelessness following the 1982 Citizenship Law. This chapter traces the historical evolution of the Rohingyas’ marginalisation and analyses how state-sponsored exclusionary policies have contributed to one of the world’s most protracted refugee crises. It further explores the implications of this displacement for host countries, particularly Bangladesh, which has borne the primary responsibility for sheltering Rohingya refugees since 1978, with significant influxes occurring after 2017. By situating the Rohingya crisis within international refugee law and human rights frameworks, this chapter establishes that the Rohingya qualify as refugees entitled to international protection. It also introduces the broader environmental and sociopolitical consequences of prolonged displacement, setting the foundation for subsequent chapters that explore the intersections between refugee protection, environmental degradation, and state responsibility. This chapter provides the conceptual and historical grounding necessary to understand the complex legal, humanitarian, and ecological challenges that are examined throughout the book.