Some Syrian New Zealanders fear a backlash after reports that at least one of the terrorists behind the Paris atrocities may have posed as a refugee to enter France.
Attackers opened fire and used explosive devices at seven locations across the French capital on Friday killing 129 people.
A Syrian passport found near the body of one of the gunmen had the same details as a man who registered in Greece last month after crossing from Turkey with asylum seekers.
Auckland man Ali Akil from the group Syrian Solidarity said even in New Zealand, talkback radio has been quick to seize on the story of terrorists masquerading as refugees.
"Everybody who has always been against it [accepting refugees], they're going to utilise this event to their own agenda and start scaremongering even further, and put pressure so the likes of France stop accepting refugees."
The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand said there had been no reports of retaliation against Muslims in response to the Paris attacks.
Federation president Hazim Arafeh said it was also extremely unlikely that New Zealand would breed any of the home-grown terrorists of the type implicated in the Paris attacks.
He said the New Zealand Muslim community was small, tight-knit and well integrated into wider New Zealand society.
"We are very vigilant - one person carrying this ideology is one person too much.
"But at this stage, I'm not very concerned about people adopting this ideology."
New Zealand has agreed to take an additional 600 refugees from Syria over the next two-and-a-half years, with the first intake of 85 due to arrive in January - about a third of them children.
Another 150 Syrian refugees are being included in the annual refugee quota.
Head of the resettlement programme Rachel O'Connor from the Red Cross said New Zealanders need not fear terrorists in their midst because vetting was extremely thorough.
"If Kiwis are made aware of the strict selection process that New Zealand immigration go through, that really ensures that whoever is selected to settle in New Zealand is in greatest need of protection."
Meanwhile, flowers, candles and balloons have been placed outside the French Embassy, in Wellington, in remembrance of the people killed in the Paris attacks.
A few people stopped for a moment this morning to pay respects and read the messages left at the doors of the embassy.
Sally McLaren lived in Paris for 28 years before moving to Wellington last year, and as she laid down a bouquet of flowers on her way to work she said she was thankful that her husband, who still lived there, was okay.
"I've laid a red rose, a white rose and some blue flowers to portray the flag and show that we are thinking of our second country, our home and our friends," she said.