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Migration to South Africa is commonly depicted as a crisis by government officials, the media and members of the public. This article critically examines the representation of migration to South Africa as a crisis and deconstructs this notion through an examination of the context of migration to South Africa and the reception non-nationals receive upon arrival. While structural forces in nearby countries have caused an increase in migration to South Africa, the South African government's own failures to respond to domestic, political, economic and social crises have led to the scapegoating of migrants by public officials. The construction of migration as a crisis by public officials reinforces existing widespread xenophobic sentiments amongst the public and has enabled a xenophobic response to international migration. This is exemplified in frequent xenophobic protests and attacks by members of the public, the lack of protection of foreigners by government officials, the exclusion of foreigners from basic government services, and the country's harsh immigration system and use of arrest and deportation to regulate migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]