Protected migrants should be relocated around Europe according to their best interests as well as the GDP and size of member states, the European Parliament has said.

MEPs yesterday approved a “non-legislative resolution” on burden-sharing, calling for better solidarity among countries and more funding for asylum processing.

The EP called for the European Commission to include an “EU distribution key” in its future legislative proposal regarding permanent relocation mechanisms.

“The system would take account of beneficiaries’ best interests and integration prospects as well as objective indicators for member states, such as GDP, population and surface area.”

This would increase the help given to EU countries like Malta that face disproportionate pressures on their national asylum systems.

Meanwhile, more money should be pumped in to strengthen asylum policy, joint processing of asylum applications and the European Asylum Support Office, the MEPs said.

“This text spells out what solidarity means in practice: burden sharing between member states.

“Now we look to the Commission to pass us the relevant legislative proposals so we can continue work we committed to undertake since 1999,” said rapporteur Kyriacos Triantaphyllides, a Cypriot MEP.

His resolution was adopted with 584 in favour, 41 against and 54 abstentions. Processing asylum applications jointly would enable member states to support each other when identifying applicants, preparing first-instance decisions, conducting interviews or making recommendations.

The Commission is currently investigating the legal and practical implications of such a joint system.

The resolution also called for “sufficient resources” for the Asylum and Migration Fund, which should be flexible to respond to unforeseen emergencies.

There should also be a “well-resourced mechanism” to compensate member states receiving higher numbers of asylum seekers.