38 THE DUBLIN II TRAP TRANSFERS OF ASYLUM-SEEKERS TO GREECE inhabitants had refused to move, claiming they had no other place to live.130 On 12 July 2009 the Greek authorities forcibly evicted about 200 people from the makeshift camp in Patras, who had remained in the camp even after unofficial warnings that the camp would be demolished. Before the eviction, the makeshift camp in Patras had been occupied for some 13 years, by approximately 300 people of Afghan origin, including asylum-seekers and irregular migrants. A significant number of these individuals were children, many of them unaccompanied.131 Nearly 60 minors were transferred to the Konitsa center for minors, while 65 registered asylum-seekers received accommodation in a local hotel. In the weeks following the eviction, there were reported to be some 80 to 100 individuals who were homeless and living in fields close to Patras without shelter or access to water, sanitation and medical assistance. Among those left unprotected were said to be a small number of unaccompanied minors as young as 14 years old. Amnesty International was concerned that, in breach of international law, people were forcibly evicted from their homes without adequate notice, any prior consultation with the community, due process of law including access to legal remedies, and provision of adequate alternative accommodation for many of those who were evicted. Forced evictions violate a range of international and regional human rights standards to which Greece is a party, including the right to adequate housing. Evictions may only be carried out as a last resort, once all other feasible alternatives have been explored, and only when all appropriate procedural protections are in place. All persons, irrespective of their legal status, must be guaranteed protection against forced evictions. In September 2009, Amnesty International was informed that the regional authorities of Patras decided to discontinue the provision of accommodation for the approximately 65 registered asylum-seekers who had been living inside and around the campsite and who were provided with accommodation in a local hotel in the days following the eviction. Following pressure by a local committee working on the rights of refugees, the regional authorities reportedly conceded to provide accommodation for those asylum-seekers who were documented by the police as present in the campsite on the day of the eviction. Amnesty International is concerned that the authorities have failed to provide basic accommodation to asylum-seekers, including for some of the vulnerable individuals, leaving them to fend for themselves in destitution. Only nine of the 51 Dublin II returnees interviewed by Amnesty International had been provided with state accommodation, the duration of support ranging from several days to several years. Nearly all of the 51, including women and a single parent family, had lived on the streets for several days, weeks or months. Only a small number managed to find alternative proper accommodation. The great majority of those interviewed by Amnesty International were either homeless or staying in the homes of friends and family for short periods of time. Amnesty International March 2010 Index: EUR 25/001/2010