On July 12, Greek police demolished a refugee camp in the port of Patras, home to about 150 people who were applying for asylum. The action was part of a "clean sweep" operation to discourage refugees and migrants from entering Greece.
The police cordoned off the camp at 5am and began asking for identification. Police arrested all the refugees they could find, who were then sent to different police stations and internment camps across Greece, No Borders Brighton said on July 13.
Those arrested included 40 unaccompanied minors.
Witnesses said a fire began at one of the camps and destroyed much of the buildings. Police did nothing to stop it. When the fire eventually stopped, police used bulldozers to demolish the remaining structures, leaving only a makeshift mosque and tent owned by relief group Medecins San Frontieres.
Opposition groups have condemned the attack. The Communist Party of Greece described the actions as "barbaric". The Coalition of Radical Left said it was "bestial and criminal", said the July 13 Morning Star Online.
A number of solidarity protesters present during the demolition were arrested.
The camp has been running for 13 years and, at its height, was home to almost 2000 people. However, months of arrests and deportations had reduced this to about 150. The refugees were mostly Afghans fleeing the US-led invasion and occupation of their country.
The camp was built by refugees themselves out of makeshift materials. It was a jump-off point for refugees seeking to travel to other parts of Europe.
Greek immigration law is extremely restrictive. Only 0.1% those who apply for asylum are granted it.
On average, 12-13,000 people apply for asylum in Greece each year. But in 2004 only 11 were granted asylum and only three the previous year.
Last year, there were 20,000 applications for asylum in Greece and only 378 were granted, the UN High Commission on Refugees said.
The ruling New Democracy government has used the action to woo voters from the far-right Laos party, the Morning Star Online said.
The government has recently passed legislation making it easier to deport refugees and has said it will set up internment camps across the country to detain so-called illegal immigrants.
The crackdown on refugees and migrants has emboldened other racists in the country. Openly fascist groups like Golden Dawn have physically attacked migrants and foreigners.
No Borders Brighton said three migrants were injured in a shooting outside the Golden Dawn offices in Athens on July 3.
In Simi, Pakistani migrants held a demonstration against police brutality against their community.
On July 12, the BBC said many local residents had been demanding the closure of the camp for some time. However, there had also been large protests in solidarity with the refugees.
On July 9, 5000 people demonstrated against the state crackdown on refugees and migrants, said Indymedia Athens.