People smugglers who look up weather forecast could be jailed for up to five years under new terror-related laws

It says that anyone who “collects or makes a record of information of a kind likely to be useful to a person organising or preparing for a relevant journey” would be arrested.

Border officials will also get powers to seize migrants' phones in the search for intelligence about who helped them cross the Channel.

The highest sentence under the bill is 14 years, and this is for anyone convicted of acts in preparation of smuggling, such as buying boat parts.

Those convicted of endangering another life at sea could be given a five-year jail term.

Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt said the new rules would allow enforcement teams to “go further and act faster” when trying to stop crossings.

The Home Office declined to estimate potential arrest figures due to “operational sensitivity”.

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The package, which is predicted to cost £13.6million over ten years, retains some power introduced by the Tories, including longer forms of detention for certain migrants.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "Over the last six years, criminal smuggling gangs have been allowed to take hold all along our borders, making millions out of small boat crossings.

“This Bill will equip our law enforcement agencies with the powers they need to stop these vile criminals, disrupting their supply chains and bringing more of those who profit from human misery to justice.

“These new counter terror-style powers, including making it easier to seize mobile phones at the border, along with statutory powers for our new Border Security Command.”

The bill has faced criticism from either end of the political spectrum.

Chris Philp MP, Shadow Home Secretary, said the bill did not go far enough and only amounted to “minor tinkering”.

He said: “As the National Crime Agency said, an effective removals deterrent is needed to stop the boats, but there is nothing about a returns deterrent for all illegal migrants in Labour’s Bill.

Meanwhile, refugee groups said the bill would criminalise legitimate aslyum seekers who are forced to help gangs whilst trying to cross.

Enver Solomon, the chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: “We are very concerned that by creating new offences, many refugees themselves could also be prosecuted, which has already been happening in some cases. This would be a gross miscarriage of justice.

“Criminalising men, women and children who have fled conflicts in countries such as Sudan does not disrupt the smuggling gangs’ business model. When a refugee is clambering into a boat with an armed criminal threatening them, they are not thinking about UK laws but are simply trying to stay alive.”