They packed up their belongings and began to walk, some heading for the fields, others to a gas station, all seeking to avoid state-run Greek migrant camps, where they fear they will end up trapped.
For months they had been living in Idomeni, a sprawling expanse of tents on Greece's northern border with Macedonia and a symbol of human misery until police and bulldozers began clearing it on Tuesday.
On Thursday, the camp stood empty. It had been home to more than 8,000 migrants and refugees in recent weeks, yet only about 2,800 of those have been relocated by bus to state-run facilities, police said.