No jail time for British aid worker who tried to smuggle Afghan girl

A British aid worker who attempted to smuggle a four-year-old Afghan girl out of a refugee camp in France — at the request of the girl's father — will not face jail time.

Rob Lawrie could have seen up to five years in prison if he was found guilty of people smuggling. But, the three-judge panel — who believed Lawrie's act was fuelled by compassion for the child — convicted him of endangerment instead. Lawrie will have to pay a fine of around $1,561.

I looked down at that perfect little child and I just said, 'I can't leave her here anymore.'- Rob Lawrie

"I've never been in trouble in my life," Lawrie tells As it Happens host Carol Off. "So, it was extremely daunting. Throughout the trial, I thought I was going to go to jail."

Last summer, Lawrie started volunteering at a refugee camp in Calais, France. He says he was shocked to see hundreds of children living in tents.

"I've spent many years in the British army and I've seen some horrific sites. But, nothing prepared me for that," he says.

While there, Lawrie met Bahar Ahmadi — a four-year-old refugee girl originally from Afghanistan. Ahmadi, who he nicknamed "Bru," immediately took a liking to Lawrie.

"Little Bahar came up behind me and took my shirt. I looked down and … the most beautiful face and the biggest brown eyes were looking up at me and smiling. It just melted my heart"

On many occasions, Ahmadi's father, Reza, asked Lawrie to smuggle his daughter out of the camp.

"I used to explain to an interpreter that this is illegal and I would get in so much trouble. It just wasn't going to happen."

One night, however, the young girl fell asleep in Lawrie's arms. For him, this changed everything.

"I looked down at that perfect little child and I just said, 'I can't leave her here anymore.' Then, I said to her father, 'Ok, I will help you.' It was just a spur of the moment, irrational decision that I made."

On the day that Lawrie attempted to smuggle Ahmadi out of France, two Eritrean refugees snuck into his van. Authorities at the border found the two men, but they let Lawrie go because they believed he had no idea. 

Soon after this, Lawrie was stopped at the border again. It was at this point that he had to admit that Ahmadi was in his van.

"I mean I'm not saying what I did was clever or legally right, but the intentions to save a little girl was fully there," he says.  

Yesterday, French authorities allowed Lawrie to bring Ahmadi and her father to court. After the hearing, Ahmadi and her father had to return to the refugee camp.

Selfishly, I wish I didn't have this global media platform because I wish I'd got away with it.- Rob Lawrie

"This is the madness of the world that we live in. There's 22 miles of sea between them and the country where their bloodline family lives. Everybody seems to see my point apart from the politicians — the people who can make this happen."

Lawrie says he'll return to Calais to do more aid work.

"Selfishly, I wish I didn't have this global media platform because I wish I'd got away with it," he says. "But, I do have this platform. So, I'm going to use it to highlight that … a human tragedy is unfolding in front of our eyes."