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BEIRUT — “Everyone in the world is afraid of Syrians right now,” says Mohammad Mohammed. “But that does not mean we are all terrorists.”

The former clothing wholesaler, who fled his home in Edlib when extremist factions took over, was among those gathered outside Beirut’s UN High Commission for Refugees Monday.

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But like a million-plus other Syrians registered as refugees in Lebanon, he knows his chances could be worse since the Paris attacks last weekend.

One of the terrorists allegedly came to Europe as a Syrian refugee. Now, questions about screening procedures are being raised in many countries, including Canada, which is set to take 25,000 Syrian refugees in the next six weeks. Some groups are even calling for a cold stop to bringing Syrians across their borders.

The refugees on the street here say they understand the challenge facing anyone assessing who really is a refugee and who isn’t, especially given that Lebanon and other countries in what is a notoriously tough neighbourhood are awash with dubious Syrian documents.