Czech Republic Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has rejected Italy’s request for European Union states to “share” out some 450 African invaders recently plucked from the sea and said that taking in any more nonwhite invaders “was a road to hell.”

According to a report on Czech Radio, Babiš said Italy’s decision to admit more invaders “went against the agreement reached at the last EU summit and stressed that Europe must send out a clear signal that its doors were closed to further asylum seekers.”

As negotiations with five willing EU member states on the re-distribution of the 450 invaders stranded at sea went ahead over the past weekend, the newly appointed Czech government reiterated its negative stance to the policy of admitting further invader to Europe.

Babiš, who at the most recent EU summit, refused to accept co-responsibility for the nonwhites already in Europe, said that taking in more asylum-seekers was a “road to hell”, a policy that would only motivate smugglers and increase their profits.

He said Europe needed to send a clear signal that its doors were closed and defended the Czech Republic’s decision not to admit any more nonwhites.

“We pushed hard at the last European Council meeting for quotas to be abandoned and for migrant redistribution to be voluntary. This was agreed on and we will abide by it. Taking in more migrants is going the wrong way.”

Interim Foreign Minister Jan Hamácek echoed these sentiments, saying that while Prague was willing to help, it would not support a policy that only worsened the problem in Europe.

“We will offer Italy other forms of aid—we are ready to help materially, financially, and even send our police officers to Italy, but as regards Prime Minister Conte’s request to take in asylum seekers—that will be rejected.”

Hamácek said the EU must focus its resources on helping in the countries of the invasion origin and step up the fight against people smugglers.

He said the Czech Republic was prepared to get involved in the Italian-led operation in support of Libyan security forces in the north of the country and other activities aimed at stemming the flow of invaders from their home countries.

The government’s stand has received support across the political spectrum. Opposition parties unanimously backed the government’s decision at the weekend, saying the only possible solution to the problem was to tighten EU border protection and solve the invasion problem in the countries where they originated.

Christian Democratic Party leader Pavel Belobrádek summed up the common viewpoint saying “we must help Italy, but not by pouring water into a leaky barrel.”