France, July 4 -- Thousands of unaccompanied migrant children face unequal treatment across France, with gaps in care and strong regional disparities leaving some without shelter or support for months, a report warns.Under French law, anyone claiming to be a minor must be given shelter immediately, even before the first age checks.

Unaccompanied migrant minors are children and teenagers who arrive in France alone, often after dangerous journeys, hoping for safety and a chance at a new life.

Instead of consistent help, they face what two NGOs - Utopia 56 and the Association for Youth Rights and Support Toward Adulthood (Aadjam) - say is a lottery, where their future depends on which department they end up in.

The NGOs carried out a surv...