Greece hopes to persuade migrants to move

Greek officials hope that refugees on the Macedonian border can be persuaded to move to nearby government-built shelters in the coming weeks.

Refugees try to warm themselves with a fire at a refugee camp during a foggy day at the border between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Source: AAP

Authorities in Greece hope an overcrowded refugee camp on the Greek-Macedonian border can be emptied within two weeks, as people are slowly persuaded to move to nearby government-built shelters.

Nikos Toskas, a deputy minister for public order, ruled out using force to move the 14,000 people camped out at the border near the village of Idomeni in increasingly desperate conditions.

"We have to persuade them (to move) and we can't do that using tear gas. Half the people there are women and children," Toskas told private Mega television.

Authorities say about 800 people have agreed so far to leave the camp, but more arrive daily.

Macedonia closed its borders to all migrants and refugees this week after several Balkan countries and Austria began imposing restrictions in February.