There were an estimated 92,000 applications for asylum in 2001, a 7% fall on the previous year.

We cannot go on operating a set of rules and then not actually enforcing them properly with a proper administrative system

Oliver Letwin Shadow home secretary

The UK still received more applications than any other Western European country - 21% - but did not experience the increases in applications seen in some other countries such as Austria (65%), France (22%) and Germany (12%).

And Home Office researchers say that the UK is tenth among Europe countries in terms of asylum seekers per head of population.

Children

There were large increases in the number of asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Somalia and Zimbabwe. Grants of asylum to Afghans increased six-fold.

Excluding dependents, there was an 11% fall in the number of applicants seeking asylum in the UK after a 13% increase in 2000 and a 55% rise in 1999.

There was a 27% rise in the number of unaccompanied children applying for asylum, with almost 3,500 youngsters - many of them from Afghanistan - arriving in the UK.

The figures show that the number of people granted asylum, leave to remain in the UK or were allowed appeals in 2001 rose to 42,000 compared with almost 36,000 in 2000.

Decisions were made on almost 120,000 applications in 2001 - 10,000 more than in 2000 - with asylum granted to 11,180 people, nine percent of cases.

Good news

A further 19,845 applicants - 17% - were given exceptional leave to remain (ELR) in the UK for a limited period.

Applications for asylum were thrown out in 74% of cases - 87,990 people - a 16% rise in the number of refusals

Roughly three-quarters of those refused asylum appealed, and it is estimated that about a fifth of appeals are allowed.

Following efforts to speed up the asylum process, there was a 9% increase in the number of initial decisions made.

There was also a 56% fall in the number of applicants awaiting a decision to 38,800.

Improvements

Immigration Appellate Authority adjudicators determined 43,415 appeals - more than double the previous year, allowing 19% and rejecting 79%

Just over 9,000 applicants were removed from the UK, some voluntarily.

A Home Office spokesman said the increase in the number of people allowed to stay in the UK showed that the government was succeeding in improving the asylum system.

"Decisions are being taken more quickly, we made a record number of decisions last year," he said.

"The backlog of asylum claims continues to fall and the number of appeals reached record levels. At the same time, applications fell by 11%."

'End the chaos'

Conservative shadow home secretary Oliver Letwin said the number of people granted asylum was a matter for the courts and not the important measure of success.

But the "chaos" in the asylum system could not be allowed to continue, Mr Letwin told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme.

"We cannot go on operating a set of rules and then not actually enforcing them properly with a proper administrative system," he said.

"It's not fair to those who are genuine refugees fleeing persecution; it's not fair to economic migrants who are kept hanging around for ages; it's not fair to the British electorate."