Migrants face up to five years in prison if they refuse to be rescued in the Channel by the French authorities, Yvette Cooper has confirmed.

The Home Secretary said a new offence will be created to target those endangering another life during a small boat crossing.

This means anyone fighting with French police on the beaches, holding children over the edge of a small boat or “rushing” vessels as they try to launch could all be prosecuted.

The Home Office said the maximum penalty for risking someone else’s life will be five years behind bars.

Criminals caught selling or handling small boat parts could also be jailed for up to 14 years as the Home Office will make it “illegal to supply or handle items suspected of being for use by organised crime groups”.

Officials believe they could even extradite criminals operating in countries such as Turkey and prosecute them under this new law.

Ms Cooper on Thursday outlined Labour’s plan to end the Channel migrant crisis, insisting giving Border Force counter-terrorism-style powers will allow the UK to “identify, disrupt and smash people smuggling gangs” faster.

And the man charged with leading Ms Cooper’s efforts – Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt – vowed “we will bring down these gangs once and for all”.

Hundreds of criminals are believed to be involved in the small boats trade, the Daily Express understands.

Sources believe the biggest boat detected crossing the Channel had a staggering 120 people on board.

But Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp raged: “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.

“The Government clearly has no plans to limit the abuse of human rights law or to use the visa sanctions which the previous Conservative Government legislated for – and Labour voted against – to force other countries take back their own nationals with no right to be in the UK

“Illegal channel crossings are up 30 per cent since the election. Labour has lost control of our borders which means they have had to reopen asylum hotels as a result, breaking their manifesto commitment.

“They have no credible plan to get illegal Channel crossings down and this is a weak Bill that will not fix the problem.”

As revealed in the Daily Express, more migrants are set to be prosecuted for their role in small boat crossings.

A new offence will be created for “collecting information to be used by organised immigration criminals to prepare for boat crossings”. This includes the weather, boat departure times and beach launch points, officials said.

Another criminal offence will be introduced to snare migrants refusing help at sea.

The Home Office said “anyone involved in the physical aggression, intimidation or coercive behaviour, including preventing offers of rescue, while at sea will face prosecution and an increased sentence of up to five years in prison.”

Former police chief Mr Hewitt, who took up the role of Border Security Commander just three months ago, will be able to call meetings with other law enforcement agencies to order more action on Channel crossings.

Immigration officers and police will also be able to seize phones, laptops and other electronic devices before they arrest anyone if they are suspected of “containing information about organised immigration crime”.

Home Office sources warn Border Force officers often face “floating crime scenes”, with traumatised migrants unable to speak about the horrors of the fatal crossings.

And the only way to access the vital intelligence on their devices, with the vast majority having paid a smuggler or a facilitator to cross the Channel, is to arrest them.

Officials believe changing the law to allow phone seizures before an arrest will let them gain vital clues on the criminal gangs without having to detain the asylum seekers.

The law changes are designed to replicate powers in the Terrorism Act 2006, so that preparing for a crossing and possession of equipment such as boats, engines and life jackets would be a criminal offence if the intention was to use them to take migrants across the Channel.

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 form 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 Border Security Command to focus activity across law enforcement agencies and border force will turbocharge efforts to smash the gangs.

“It is critical we have the tools at our disposal to pursue those who undermine them in every way we can.”

Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt said: “These crucial measures will underpin our enforcement action across the system, and together with our strengthened relationships with international partners, we will bring down these gangs once and for all.”

National Crime Agency modelling has predicted that if crossings reach £10,000, it will lead to fewer migrants crossing the Channel, this newspaper has been told.

This will depend on more smugglers being arrested, and the organised crime gangs struggling to access boats or engines.

The Home Office is introducing Interim Serious Crime Prevention Orders to allow the National Crime Agency to apply for travel restrictions, to ban smugglers from using mobile phones or laptops, introduce social media bans, or ban them from meeting other members of their gangs.

The orders are designed to give investigators time to build a case against the suspects while protecting the public from further potential offences.

Home Office sources have previously insisted many of the gangs have members in the UK, who help “facilitate crossings” and collect payments for spaces on a dinghy.

The new orders could help the National Crime Agency to “squeeze” the smuggling gangs, insiders believe.

It will also be crucial in hindering gangs who prosecutors are struggling to gather enough evidence on to haul them before judges.

Travel restrictions, in particular, are seen as a significant new weapon to “smash the gangs”.

Ms Cooper is prioritising hunting the smuggling gangs – particularly the Kurdish organised crime networks that control many of the crossing routes – to end the crisis.

The Home Secretary also believes greater cooperation with European nations will allow police to disrupt the smugglers’ supply chains and seize more boats and engines.

The UK has also secured a new deal with Iraq to return small boat arrivals and go after the smuggling kingpins.

Baghdad has committed to helping more deportations by providing more identity documents for suspected Iraqi nationals.

Britain will also pay Iraq to boost its capacity for dealing with migrants returning to the country as well as for programmes to help returnees reintegrate into society.

The Daily Express in August revealed how more British officers and intelligence specialists will be based in Iraq to snare smuggling kingpins.

The Home Office wants to “go after” the criminal networks “at source” and lead international operations.

Iraqi-Kurdish smuggling gangs control most of the beaches and camps in Northern France, it is understood, meaning officials want to ramp up National Crime Agency operations in the smugglers’ home towns.

Iraqi-Kurdish gangs control migrant smuggling operations from Calais to Dunkirk, this newspaper understands, with territory split up according to where the criminals are from, such as Erbil, Sulaimaniya, Ranya and Sharazoor.

Criminals from Ranya are said to control a large part of the territory between Calais and Dunkirk.