Dave
Thanks for your input, seems that this medal has stirred some enmities. There is lots wrong with Border Force and the Home Office on that we can agree. BF is certainly not the police, I speak from experience of both, but then again I have yet to meet anyone who thinks it is. The days of the lounge suited immigration service and customs officers operating in large gangs is long gone. Poor pay and working conditions make the job unappealing and retention of staff is challenging, the reality is the amount of officers reaching 20 years service will be very small, once the legacy immigration and customs officials have all retired.
However my gripe is about recognition of service, for people working in any operational frontline role, whether that's simply through the grind of daily service, dealing with small boats in the English Channel, policing inner city estates or military being deployed overseas to conflict zones, it's something I am quite passionate about. Put a uniform on and enforce any law in most 1st world countries and you become an easy target of abuse from sections of the public and media alike, as you represent authority, which justified or not an increasing section of today's society does not like or respect.
I don't think the UK has any risk of going down the path of some countries, getting recognition in the UK within the medals and honours system outside of the establishment and the cult of celebrity is like getting blood out of a stone. The US military as we know, has a different ethos to the British culture when it comes to medals. What makes the British system right and theirs wrong. Human nature to judge others based on our own cultural systems and beliefs, but I think their system is about recognising service in all its forms, which ours is reluctant to do. A chest full of medal ribbons for the military, so be it, why not, give people something to be proud of, a single medal for long service in a challenging role, not sure what the problem is.