The overall applications figure remains at its lowest since 1993

The drop means ministers have missed a key quarterly immigration enforcement target set by the prime minister.

Ministers announced 800 extra officers to tackle illegal immigration the day before the statistics were published.

Home Office figures show the number applying for asylum rose slightly during the third quarter of 2006.

According to the figures, the number of fresh asylum applications rose to 5,850 over the three months - although the numbers arriving yearly remain at their lowest level since 1993.

Some 3,300 principal asylum applicants found not to have a case to stay in Britain were removed - the lowest quarterly figure for more than a year.

The government's policy so far has been one of neglect David Davis Shadow home secretary Illegal immigration 'crackdown'

At the same time, officials estimated that 4,500 of the newly arrived applicants ultimately would have their cases turned down.

This means the Home Office has missed its "tipping point" target - ensuring that the number of failed applicants removed every quarter exceeds the number of new claimants expected to be turned down.

"This represents a decrease on the performance for previous quarters, reflecting decreased removals and increased unfounded applicants," said a Home Office spokesman. However, he added the tipping point had actually been exceeded over the course of the year to September.

The countries with the highest number of asylum seekers were Eritrea, Afghanistan, Iran, China and Somalia - all locations with documented histories of persecution or human rights abuses.

Of those who appealed against having their case turned down, a fifth were granted rights to stay in the UK. Latest figures for the government's long-standing amnesty affecting certain families show that 24,340 main applicants have been allowed to settle in the UK.

Enforcement

The figures show that as of 30 September, some 1,455 asylum seekers judged to have no case were awaiting deportation in detention centres. Some 140 had been awaiting removal for between six months and a year while another 50 had been held for more than a year.

The Home Office has been under pressure to speed up removals.

On Monday ministers said they were seconding 440 police officers to the immigration service and recruiting a further 360 new staff to boost efforts against illegal immigration.

The move came as a part of a wider plan to target people-smuggling operations and firms employing illegal immigrant labour.

The Conservatives said the seconded police were "badly needed" on the beat, while the Lib Dems called for new staff rather than the redeployment of police officers.