Turkish authorities detained 330 migrants trying to cross to the Greek island of Lesbos, officials said on Sunday. The Coast Guard in an area in the western province of Çanakkale said that it had carried out seven operations to rescue migrants who had attempted to cross since Saturday evening. He added that the migrants who were detained came from Afghanistan, Syria, Iran and Iraq, noting that the number of people trying to cross to Lesbos has increased recently and that 699 people have been detained since August 10. United Nations data show that the number of people arriving in European Union countries from the Mediterranean, including migrants making the more dangerous and longer journey from North Africa to Italy, amounted to 172,301 in 2017, down from 362,753 in 2016 and more than one million in 2015. The number has decreased sharply since 2015 after Turkey began tightening controls on migrants trying to reach Europe through its territory in exchange for three billion euros in aid from the European Union and pledges to ease restrictions imposed on granting European visas to Turks. But many are still trying to make the short, risky journey, leaving Türkiye one of the main departure points for migrants towards Europe. Read also: ISIS claims responsibility for the wedding party attack in Kabul 13 people were arrested in Oregon, USA, during demonstrations by right-wing and anti-fascist supporters Russia does not intend to deploy new missiles as long as America does not do so