Syrian Refugees In Lehigh Valley, PA: Who Are They, And Where Do They Live?

They live in apartments atop stores, have jobs and send their children to school.

For the most part, the approximately 161 Syrian refugees who have settled into Pennsylvania life have assimilated just as the state - and the nation - debate whether to take more.

That debate has hit fever pitch in recent days since ISIS claimed responsibility for the deadly terror attacks on Friday in Paris.

Gov. Tom Wolf said this week that Pennsylvania will continue to accept Syrian refugees in the wake of Friday’s deadly attacks in Paris. The Islamic State, which took responsibility for the deadline violence in Paris, has strongholds in war-torn Syria.

“While details are still emerging regarding the individuals responsible for the heinous attacks in Paris, all of those responsible committed atrocious acts and must be brought to justice,” Wolf’s spokesman, Jeffrey Sheridan.

Pennsylvania, meanwhile, has the sixth largest population of Syrian refugees. And those who have settled in some local communities (see map below) over the past year or so say they’ve done so with little trouble.

Take Monsignor Joseph Kelly, who had this to say about the Syrian refugees relocated to Northeastern Pennsylvania in recent months:

They’re here. They’ve been vetted. And they’re thankful for the chance at a new life, according to the the times-tribune.com.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton has worked to resettle three Syrian families in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties since August, Monsignor Kelly, executive director of Catholic Social Services, which runs the diocese refugee program, told the publication.

The six adults and 11 children fled war-torn Syria and were living in overseas resettlement camps for several years prior to being relocated to the United States. “They’re not part of the recent surge of refugees fleeing for their lives,” Monsignor Kelly told the times-tribune.com.

Here is the map. Click on the markers to learn about the refugees’ stories:

Here is the list of states with Syrian refugees provided by the Department of State:

1. California 252
2. Texas 242
3. Michigan 207
4. Arizona 168
5. Illinois 164
6. Pennsylvania 161
7. Florida 123
8. Kentucky 101
9. New Jersey 92
10. Ohio 82
11. Massachusetts 72
12. Georgia 66
13. North Carolina 56
14. Connecticut 51
15. New York 51
16. Tennessee 42
17. Indiana 39
18. Maryland 39
19. Idaho 36
20. Washington 36
21. Missouri 29
22. Virgina 24
23. Louisiana 14
24. Utah 12
25. Colorado 9
26. Kansas 8
27. Nevada 8
28. Minnesota 7
29. New Hampshire 3
30. Maine 1
31. New Mexico 6
32. Oregon 6
33. Oklahoma 3
34. Wisconsin 2
35. Arkansas 1
36. West Virginia 1
37. Alabama 0
38. Alaska 0
39. Delaware 0
40. Hawaii 0
41. Iowa 0
42. Mississippi 0
43. Montana 0
44. Nebraska 0
45. North Dakota 0
46. Rhode Island 0
47. South Carolina 0
48. South Dakota 0
49. Vermont 0
50. Wyoming 0

Photo: Women and children among Syrian refugees striking at the platform of Budapest Keleti railway station. Refugee crisis. Budapest, Hungary, Central Europe, 4 September 2015. (3)“ by Mstyslav Chernov - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Women_and_children_among_Syrian_refugees_striking_at_the_platform_of_Budapest_Keleti_railway_station._Refugee_crisis._Budapest,_Hungary,_Central_Europe,_4_September_2015._(3).jpg#/media/File:Women_and_children_among_Syrian_refugees_striking_at_the_platform_of_Budapest_Keleti_railway_station._Refugee_crisis._Budapest,_Hungary,_Central_Europe,_4_September_2015._(3).jpg