With up to 70,000 refugees expected to become stranded on Greece's northern border in the coming days, German chancellor Angela Merkel warned that the recently bailed-out Athens government could become paralysed by the huge numbers of arrivals from war-torn areas of the Middle East and Africa.

The Greek government has acknowledged that it considers declaring a state of emergency to deal with the refugee crisis and that it has already submitted to the European Union a contingency plan.

Labour Minister George Katrougalos on Friday in statements to ANA-MPA dismissed a report in newspaper "Ta Nea" that a special levy will be imposed on pensioners.