France has joined a chorus of voices opposing a European Union plan to ease pressure on nations dealing with an influx of Mediterranean migrants by establishing a quota system to share the burden.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls says he opposes the proposed plan to set maximum refugee limits for each country in the EU based on population, employment levels and other factors. In comments made Saturday on French TV, Valls said a quota system “was never part of the French propositions.”

Last week Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told RTL radio that France supported the plan, which was already unraveling in the face of opposition among other EU countries.

Although the exact details of the plan are yet to be hammered out there have been suggestions that the UK would have to take 20,000 migrants. Brussels is refusing to follow the Australian government, which eradicated people smuggling by towing boats full of migrants back to their country of origin rather than granting them asylum.

Plan to bring hundreds of thousands of migrants to the EU have already been opposed by countries like Hungary, Slovakia and Estonia.

Additional reporting by Associated Press.