Really? That's the reason, I thought it was because they didn't take refugees.
French do take refugees. However , You had to wait up to 6 months just to get registered as an asylum seeker. There are also other technicalities regarding housing etc.They basically scare people away with bureaucracy.
Unless you have an established support network like West Africans and North Africans, you might as well by-pass France and go elsewhere.
It has nothing to do with secularism. The French ghettos are more segregated than parts of Europe and up until recently , they had more problems with Alqaeda than most European country’s. Somalis generally go to places where they have quick access to government assistance and where are there established communities.
Only a few Djiboutian hit France.