14/01/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 14 January, the European Commission ruled out any correlation between European asylum policy and expansion of the Schengen zone. Friso Roscam Abbing, the spokesman for the commissioner on immigration, indicated at a Commission press meeting that “there is no correlation between asylum policy and Schengen enlargement”. The spokesman was responding to the question of a journalist concerned about the increasing number of Chechen refugees arriving in Germany since the extension of the area of free movement on 21 December. Abbing said that it was premature to assess the impact of a zone enlargement that occurred a little under a month ago. He added that, in terms of immigration flows, “We don't have exact figures”. (B.C.)