The majority of asylum seekers are being accepted into the UK

More than 9,000 people a month claimed asylum in 2002, Home Office figures said, with the peak coming in the last three months of the year.

The highest monthly figure came in October but the numbers - which include dependants - then fell, it added.

Of the applicants, half were accepted, though more may still be in the appeals process. Only about 13,000 were actually removed, although others may have left voluntarily.

In comparison figures across the EU, excluding Italy, fell by 1% during the year.

Home Secretary David Blunkett said the figures were "deeply unsatisfactory but no surprise", bearing in mind insecurity in countries such as Iraq and Zimbabwe.

Asylum seeker figures Total applications: 85,865 Total including dependents: 110,700 Rise over 2001: 20% 50% accepted Applications across EU (excluding Italy) fell by 1% By far the biggest group came from Iraq

More asylum figures

He said 2002 had been a "difficult year", with a second problem being "scores of illegal entrants" smuggling themselves through the Channel Tunnel.

"We have tackled all these problems and are beginning to see results," he said.

Shadow home secretary Oliver Letwin said the record figures were due to years of "gross mismanagement" of the asylum process.

"These are the worst figures one could possibly imagine," he said.

WHERE WERE 2002 ASYLUM SEEKERS FROM? Iraq: 14,940 Zimbabwe: 7,695 Afghanistan: 7,380 Somalia: 6,680 China: 3,735

"This system is so broken that the only thing to do is to scrap it entirely, and replace it by a system of rational and genuine quotas of genuine refugees, that are chosen offshore."

Mr Blunkett said the numbers had dropped in recent months following better border controls, new legislation and new controls over failed asylum seekers.

The government was still looking at ways to cut the numbers arriving in the UK, he said.

Brutal regimes

From April it was removing "exceptional leave to remain", replacing it instead with "a much tighter and clearer set of rules regarding humanitarian protection".

Officials were looking at a system of United Nations safe havens to which asylum seekers could be sent.

The forgotten refugees Put your asylum questions to campaign group Refugee Action

The figures showed it had been a year of "unprecedented turmoil" for asylum seekers, said campaign group Refugee Action.

"Innocent people continue to be caught up in global political events, like Iraq and Zimbabwe, and suffer the persistent abuse of their human rights," said chief executive Sandy Buchan.

"The government cannot berate such dictatorships without accepting responsibility for refugees from those regimes."

He said ever-tougher asylum regimes could prove counter-productive - as it was already so difficult for people to legally claim asylum, many were being driven into the hands of people smugglers instead.

In 2002 Iraqis were by far the largest group seeking asylum followed by Afghans, Zimbabweans and then Somalis.

ASYLUM APPLICATIONS 1997-2002 1997: 32,505 1998: 46,015 1999: 71,155 2000: 80,315 2001: 71,370 2002: 85,865

Mr Blunkett said he thought a successful campaign to remove Saddam Hussein's regime could lead to fewer, rather than more, Iraqi refugees in the UK.

"I'm looking forward one way or another... to not only stopping the flow of asylum seekers but returning those who are here back to their homes."

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Tony Blair said he thought the numbers of people arriving in the UK to claim asylum should halve by September.

Asked if he thought this would be possible, Mr Blunkett said: "I don't think any of us can be 100% certain that we can do this because we are subject to global movements out of our control.

"We can only ask that people give us the months ahead to be able to demonstrate that."