The prosecution of migrant smugglers is a central element of Australia’s efforts to combat the smuggling of migrants. The large number of migrant smuggling vessels arriving in Australia has triggered a great volume of prosecutions of the crew members operating these vessels and, in some cases, of the organisers of these ventures. This article explores the available case law, analyses the application and interpretation of Australia’s ‘people smuggling offences’, and examines trends and developments in people smuggling prosecutions in Australia from 1 July 2011 to 31 December 2014.