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Unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) are separated from caregivers, have often been exposed to significant additional past and ongoing adversities, and seek protection from war, organized violence, or persecution in a new country. Obtaining a more secure legal position by achieving recognition of the asylum claim and legal rights may involve arduous interviews with officials who appear disbelieving. Assessing a minor's claim to asylum is an important and difficult task. UASC often arrive with little "proof" or documentation to justify their claims and can only provide their account in making their claim. Without such proof, decision makers turn to the subjective judgment of the applicant's credibility. This review appraises the literature on UASC asylum claims from a psychological perspective. Searches were made of the main databases for relevant studies. The review focuses on key findings: developmental processes, mental health, autobiographical memory, cultural influences, and decision makers' own thinking processes and subjective states. Key findings specific to the UASC predicament are their ability to tell their story-an aspect of autobiographical memory, which is affected by developmental stage, presence of mental illness, and culture. The review shows that the decision makers' own beliefs, past experiences, and emotional state also affects their decision-making processes. An adequate assessment requires evaluation of a multitude of factors and careful decision making. The findings are pertinent for understanding the UASC, interviewing style, and appraising the information. The implications for policy and practice are summarized.

The number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) is increasing, and unlike those who arrive with their parents, UASC are subject to interview to determine refugee status. The limited amount of objective evidence available in most asylum claims means that the UASC's account of their experiences often becomes key in deciding whether or not the young person is granted protection. Research indicates that assumptions about human memory influence decision-makers' views on asylum seekers' accounts; however, these do not necessarily appear to fit with the published research on autobiographical memory and may lead to an unfair decision. Therefore, understanding the nature and limitations of autobiographical memory is key to a fair refugee determination process. A literature review of published research on autobiographical memory among adolescents was undertaken across four databases. In total, 45 papers were identified which were thematically organised into three areas: development of autobiographical memory, contextual influences and impact of psychopathology. From this review, conclusions are drawn about what can be reasonably expected of an adolescent's autobiographical memory generally and more specifically when the unique characteristics of UASC are taken into account. We also discusss how commonly used credibility indicators in refugee status determinations for minors are problematic in light of this research. It is important that the psychological evidence on the nature of autobiographical memory in adolescents is considered in asylum processing of UASC.

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