The Dubs Award

Since 2023, HIAS+JCORE has been awarding the Dubs Award to individuals displaying outstanding commitment to refugees and people seeking asylum. The awards are named after Lord Alf Dubs, who arrived in the UK as a child refugee on the Kindertransport to escape Nazi persecution and is a lifelong advocate for those who have come to the UK to seek sanctuary. In 2025 we opened the nomination process to partners, supporters, and the public.

On 16 July 2025 we were delighted to announce Deborah Koder as the third winner of our Dubs Award for Outstanding Commitment and Abdullahi Yussuf as the inaugural Dubs Legacy Award for Emerging Leaders winner.

This year, we invited nominations in two categories: the Dubs Award for Outstanding Commitment and the Dubs Legacy Award for Emerging Leaders.

Each award celebrates an individual who has:

• Shown strong commitment to displaced people and their rights
• Given impactful and meaningful support to refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK
• Proven dedication to HIAS+JCORE’s antiracism principles

Like its previous winners, Dr Edie Friedman and Dr Richard Stone OBE, the Dubs Award for Outstanding Commitment reflects a lifelong devotion to the cause. The new Dubs Legacy Award for Emerging Leaders will build on this heritage and honour someone aged 30 or under, who is leading positive change for refugees and people seeking asylum.

Anyone who meets the above criteria! Nominations needn’t be for someone with a Jewish background, and we warmly encourage nominations from and for individuals with lived experience of the asylum system.

Nominations were open until 31 March 2025. The awards were presented at a special ceremony during HIAS+JCORE’s annual reception in July 2025.

Dr Richard Stone

We were honoured to posthumously award the 2024 Lord Dubs Award to Dr Richard Stone. Richard was a huge figure in fight against racism in Britain, and a lifelong campaigner against injustice. This included playing an important role in the inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence. Richard also made pivotal contributions towards bringing together Jewish and Muslim communities in this country. We are deeply proud that Richard served as JCORE’s chair for a number of years.

Dr Edie Friedman

The inaugral 2023 Lord Dubs Award was presented to JCORE’s founder and Honorary President Dr Edie Friedman, in recognition of her extensive impact on the causes of race relations and the rights of asylum seekers and refugees. Edie established JCORE – then known as the ‘Jewish Social Responsibility Council’ – in Leeds in 1976, and headed the organisation for over 45 years. As Executive Director, she led the Jewish response on issues of asylum, refugees, and racial equality, with JCORE supporting hundreds of displaced people across the decades.