1Landsittel

Melanie Landsittel
Pittsburgh Refugee Advocacy Organization
Updated 3 October 2016
Crisis Management Report
The purpose of this report is to provide a
concise analysis of resources available to
individuals with the status of refugee in the
City of Pittsburgh, and give insight onto what
areas Pittsburgh Refugee Advocacy Organization (PRAO) should concentrate their resources
towards, in order to maximize efforts with respect to refugee habitation in Pittsburgh. The
UNHCR (United Nations Higher Council on Refugees) defines refugees to be a person protected
by international law who is fleeing their home for reasons of violence or persecution based on
personal characteristics, or opinions.1 These people cannot return to their homes based on fear of
this persecution and a small percentage of them are given refuge in the United States. There are
an estimated 21.3 million refugees in the world today.2 The United States has pledged to allow in
10,000 refugees between 2015 and 2016, yet opposition is being faced across the US.3
There are nine domestic resettlement agencies which the Department of State works with
to determine the resources available in a given community in the United States to allow for
refugee resettlement. These agencies provide services to refugees related to employment,
immigration, cohesion, and various other areas depending on the specific agency. The

1Refugees.
2Figures at a Glance.
3Resources on Syrian Refugees.

2Landsittel
Department of States Reception and Placement program also provides a monetary contribution
per refugee to the agencies which contribute toward these services.4
The Pennsylvania Refugee Resettlement Program is the central organization which
dictates immigration and resettlement obligations of various agencies throughout Pennsylvania.
The agencies within Pittsburgh are AJAPO (Acculturation for Justice, Access, and Peace
Outreach), PRIAC (Pittsburgh Refugee Immigrant Assistance Center), and CARR (Northern
Area Multi Service Center Community Assistance and Refugee Resettlement). 5
AJAPO provides general services related to resettlement, employment, immigration, and
social cohesion.6 PRIAC focus is on the Jewish community in Pittsburgh and their respective
community engagement focused toward gathering resources for refugees. They provide social,
vocational, medical and economic services for refugees.7 CARR provides grants for refugees past
the short term support of the federal government up to five years. They also provide resettlement
services related to housing, furnishing, immigration assistance, transportation, health, and
various other areas. This agency is actively looking for resources such as clothing, furniture,
appliances and toys to donate to refugee families.8
Social initiatives related to the settlement of refugees in Pittsburgh are also crucial to the
success of refugee acceptance, and over the past several years, Pittsburgh has implemented the
Welcome Pittsburgh initiate, which is part of Welcoming America, a national and grassrootsdriven collaborative that promotes mutual respect and cooperation between foreign-born and
U.S.-born Americans.9 As seen in Figure 1, the amount of refugees who have settled in
4The Reception and Placement Program.
5Pennsylvania Refugee Resettlement Program.
6AJAPO Acculturation for Justice, Access and Peace.
7Pittsburgh Refugee and Immigrant Assistant Center.
8Community Assistance and Refugee Resettlement.
9Mayor William Peduto launches Welcoming Pittsburgh Initiative,

3Landsittel
Pittsburgh since 2013 is several thousand, yet the net immigration in Pittsburgh has slowed
compared to most cities in the US. This initiative believes that Pittsburgh organizations have the
ability to create opportunities for refugees in the city which will benefit not only them, but also
the city as a whole.10
The place for PRAO within these efforts rests in our ability to capitalize on the energy of
the youth culture of Pittsburgh. This means becoming a voice which advocates politically and
humilitarily for the rights of refugees wishing to find a home within our community. Supporting
initiatives such as Welcoming Pittsburgh, being one example of these efforts, as well as
politically petitioning on a local, state, and federal level with respect to the rights of those
individuals in our community, and getting the youth community involved in that work.
Pittsburghs strong network of 7 colleges and universities has always been a heavy influence on
the citys culture, and through PRAO, there can be an interest group which speaks through this
community for the rights of refugees.
PRAO can utilize their ability to communicate with the youth culture of Pittsburgh to put
on events which will benefit these refugee communities. These event should promote inclusivity
between all residents of the city and raise awareness of global issues which we as a community
have a hand in effecting. Not only will these events promote inclusivity, but also contribute to
equitable treatment of refugee families by providing resources to them to aid their resettlement.

10Mayor.

4Landsittel

Refugees in Pittsburgh (Figure 1)11

This graph shows data gathered by Pennsylvania Refugee Resettlement Program reflecting
refugees resettled in Pittsburgh by origin per year from 2013 to 2015.

Works Cited

11Demographics and Arrival Statistics.

5Landsittel
Refugees, UN Refugee Agency, accessed September 19, 2016, <http://www.unhcr.org/enus/refugees.html>.
Figures at a Glance, UN Refugee Agency, accessed September 19, 2016,
<http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/figures-at-a-glance.html>.
Resources on Syrian Refugees, The White House, accessed September 19, 2016,
<https://www.whitehouse.gov/campaign/resources-on-syrian-refugees>.
The Reception and Placement Program, US Department of State, accessed September 19,
2016, <http://www.state.gov/j/prm/ra/receptionplacement/index.htm>.
Pennsylvania Refugee Resettlement Program, Refugees in PA, accessed September 19, 2016,
<http://www.refugeesinpa.org/>.
AJAPO Acculturation for Justice, Access and Peace, accessed September 19, 2016,
<http://www.ajapopittsburgh.org/about_us1.aspx>.
Pittsburgh Refugee and Immigrant Assistant Center, Immigration Advocates, accessed
September 19, 2016,
<https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/probono/volunteer/organization.204998>.
Community Assistance and Refugee Resettlement, NAMS, accessed September 19, 2016,
<http://buildingindependence.org/nams/community-assistance-and-refugeeresettlement/>.
Mayor William Peduto launches Welcoming Pittsburgh Initiative, Pittsburgh, accessed
September 19, 2016, <http://pittsburghpa.gov/mayor/release?id=3112>.
Demographics and Arrival Statistics, Pennsylvania Refugee Resettlement Program, accessed
September 19, 2016, <http://www.refugeesinpa.org/aboutus/demoandarrivalstats/>.