The European Parliament yesterday approved amendments to the EU asylum system aimed at enhancing solidarity between member states on immigration and called for a binding mechanism to be set up before 2012.

The draft rules, which still have to be approved by member states, include the setting up of an Asylum Agency and amendments to the so-called Dublin II convention, which forces a country where immigrants land to process their asylum applications. The measures would provide for this requirement to be suspended in the case of overburdened countries like Malta.

The document also outlines an obligatory burden-sharing mechanism to ease the pressure on peripheral member states.

But the vote will also probably set the stage for a fierce political controversy locally, as the parties gear up for the forthcoming European Parliament elections - two of the three Labour MEPs sitting in Strasbourg did not vote in favour of the Dublin II changes.

Only Louis Grech voted in favour while John Attard Montalto voted against and Glenn Bedingfield did not cast his vote although he was present for the voting session.

Contacted by The Times, Dr Attard Montalto admitted that he had made a mistake by pushing the no button when he intended to vote yes, while Mr Bedingfield said that he also intended to vote in favour but his electronic vote was not registered. Both Labour MEPs told The Times that they immediately submitted a statement to correct their mistake.

But the Nationalist Party immediately pounced on the blunder, noting "with disappointment that on another very important vote for our country... the Labour party did not safeguard the national interest".

It accused Labour of lack of consistency. "On one simple vote, as happened in the past, Labour's three representatives did not manage to agree among themselves and they all voted differently." It insisted that people are owed an explanation.

But Labour's reaction was also speedy. Speaking at a party activity in the evening, party leader Joseph Muscat accused the PN of trying to draw political mileage out of a non-issue, stressing that the two MEPs had corrected the matter immediately.

He turned the tables on the PN, saying that the vote for an obligatory burden sharing agreement vindicated his criticism towards the Immigration Pact signed last year and which only spoke of voluntary burden sharing.

Yesterday's package of laws also introduces more rights and guarantees for asylum seekers, with standards to be guaranteed to asylum seekers in terms of housing, food, clothing, health care, financial benefits, freedom of movement and access to work. It also includes provisions on the protection of vulnerable people, such as minors, unaccompanied minors, pregnant women and victims of torture and violence.The use of detention should be decided on a case-by-case basis, and asylum seekers should not be held in prisons but in specialised detention facilities.

According to the approved text, "instruments shall be enacted, binding on all member states, in order to provide effective support to those member states which are faced with specific and disproportionate pressures on their national systems due, in particular, to their geographical or demographic situation. Those instruments shall enter into force no later than December 31, 2011."

Many member states are expected to oppose these proposals.

The Nationalist Party leader at the EP, Simon Busuttil, in a statement yesterday pointed out that the Parliament's initiatives may be still resisted by some countries. "It is time for them to realise that they can no longer expect just a couple of countries to shoulder a responsibility that belongs to all," he said.