Francois Hollande: EU Migrant Intake Quotas 'Out of Question'

French President expressed his opposition to the proposed plan to introduce quotas on refugee intake by EU member states to fight the migration crisis.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — French President Francois Hollande expressed on Tuesday his firm opposition to the proposed European Commission plan to introduce quotas on refugee intake by EU member states to fight the migration crisis.

"It's out of the question to have immigrant quotas because we have rules on border checks and policies for overseeing immigration," Hollande said at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as quoted by the Guardian newspaper.

Europe faces an immense influx of migrants who flee violence and poverty in their home countries across Northern Africa and the Middle East. Thousands attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea every month, many of whom do not survive the journey.

After more than 1,500 drowned trying to cross the sea in 2015, the European Commission unveiled a plan to take in 20,000 refugees and distribute them in the European Union. The quotas for migrant intake would depend on the countries' GDP, population and the number of migrants already living there.

Top officials of several EU members, including the United Kingdom, Spain and Hungary, have already spoken out against the plan. Earlier on Tuesday, media reports emerged claiming that 10 out of 28 EU member states opposed the quotas.