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Denmark upholds high standards of human rights as long as the interests of its citizens are concerned but erects barriers for migrants of a different cultural background who might threaten the security of the national community. The Danish tradition of liberalism, humanism and the welfare state coexists with one of Europe’s most restrictive policies towards third-country immigrants. The article traces the evolution of management approaches to developing the immigration policy and integrating foreign cultural migrants in Denmark. It describes the value determinants of these changes. Using the neo-institutional methodology, the authors analyse the evolution of the value determinants of Denmark’s immigration policy and look at the national norms and practices of integrating migrants from a different cultural background. A restrictive immigration policy became possible due to a consensus between the main political forces, the left Social Democratic Party and the right Liberal Party Venstre, both willing to keep in check electoral support for the radical right-wing parties (the effect of ‘contagion from the right’ in Maurice Duverger’s terms). The object of Denmark’s restrictive integration policy is migrants from a different cultural background (mainly from Muslim countries). The government takes systematic measures to restrict their access to the country. As to migrant integration, the focus has shifted to ‘hard’ assimilation of civiс democratic values, benefits linked to employment, and deportation of migrants who have committed crimes.

An essential component in the structure of the immigration policy of developed countries is the integration of migrants. The integration policy for migrants is aimed at solving the issues of adaptation, inculturation, labor mobility, naturalization, and political participation. Integration is a reciprocal process which involves the interaction of migrants and the host society. The integration policy goal is the formation of migrants' qualities and competencies that allow them to participate in the economic, social, political, and spiritual spheres of the recipient country. The failure of integration policies inevitably increases the conflict potential of the host society, leads to social exclusion, marginalization of migrants, and an increase in xenophobia. The article is devoted to the comparative analysis of the integration policy of the two Northern states — Norway and Russia. Norway has extensive experience in implementing the integration policy, occupies a leading position in the index of integration of migrants MIPEX. Russia has extensive experience in the incorporation of various ethnic groups into a national state, but the state has long ignored the solution of issues of integration and adaptation of migrants. The study aims to analyze national models and practices of integration and adaptation of migrants. The research methodology is linked to the methods of demography, sociology, political science, law, and statistics. For the comparative analysis of the immigration policies of Norway and Russia, a set of indicators reflecting the quality and status of the integration policy, MIPEX (labor market, family reunification, long-term stay, political participation, protection against discrimination, naturalization) was applied. It is concluded that the policy of integration in Russia should have different objects of regulation, be differentiated by goals and objectives.