Brussels, 19/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - The reception conditions for the 10,000 unaccompanied minors, who seek asylum in the European Union every year, are generally “unsatisfactory”, according to a report published on Monday 17 September that is quoted by AFP. “The overall situation does not seem very positive”, write the authors of this study, which was financed by the European Commission and coordinated by the France Terre d'Asile (FTA) association. “In France, unaccompanied minors struggle to obtain the asylum request form. In Latvia, they only receive free medical care in cases of emergency. Austria does not provide for any psychological support although some may have suffered great trauma (child soldiers, genital mutilation, or prostitution)”, the authors of the study point out. In their opinion, “the help and accommodation conditions offered during the procedure are generally unsatisfactory” and “some countries even allow these children to be placed in detention”, sometimes in “precarious conditions” (our translation throughout). In 2010, 10,295 unaccompanied minors requested asylum in a member state, mainly in Sweden, Germany and the United Kingdom. Afghanistan was the top country of origin for these young people, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Iraq and Somalia. The positive decision rate varies between 8% (Ireland) and 61% (United Kingdom) with the status range being more or less protective. (SP/transl.fl)