Canada’s population is surging—thanks to massive numbers of immigrants. Recent numbers released by Statistics Canada show that in the third quarter of 2023, Canada’s population grew by 430,635 people. That’s a 1.1 percent growth rate, the second-largest quarter growth rate in Canada’s history. In the first nine months of 2023, the population has grown by 1,030,378, surpassing any yearly total on record.

Canada has always been a nation of immigrants, but the current Liberal government has kicked immigration into high gear. Current immigration targets set through 2026 intend to maintain and exceed this year’s growth.

Canada has an aging population and declining birth rates, which adds pressure to the economy. But is mass immigration really the solution to filling job positions? Consider some of the repercussions Canada is facing because of it.

For starters, the government has lost count of just how many people it is bringing into the country, who are then overstaying thier visas. Benjamin Tal, deputy chief economist at cibc Capital Markets, reported recently that the number of nonpermanent residents (temporary workers and foreign students) “widely quoted and used for planning purposes undercounts the actual number of nprs residing in Canada by close to 1 million.” This miscount is the result of a large number of temporary residents not actually leaving the country when their visas expire.

Officially, 40 million people live in Canada. To have an additional 1 million people unaccounted for has serious ramifications on economic planning and housing and development planning.

As the government pushes to bring in hundreds of thousands of new immigrants, housing becomes a growing issue. Housing affordability in Canada is currently at its worst in 41 years. At the end of the third quarter, the Bank of Canada reported that households spend a whopping 55.2 percent of their income on housing. A September report said that the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto jumped to $2,620 in August, a 10.5 percent increase over the previous August. The average two-bedroom apartment cost $3,413 per month, an increase of 7.1 percent from a year ago.

Housing is already extremely overpriced, and there aren’t enough units available. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. reported in September that if immigration targets were met, Canada would be short 3.5 million dwellings by 2030 at the current building rates.

Not only is there no housing for these new immigrants, but there are no jobs either. Statistics Canada reported that in the third quarter, job vacancies are shrinking but the labor force is growing: Two workers are being added for every job filled. Many of the positions currently available are concentrated in sales and services, which are typically minimum-wage jobs.

Consider the trajectory of all this. The nation is bringing in a record number of people with nowhere for them to live and no jobs to give them. If they do find a job, it likely won’t bring in nearly enough money to be able to afford rent. Yet the government wants to accelerate the numbers coming in.

Economists are warning of the negative impact Canada’s immigration policy is having on the nation. Inflation is still ravaging the economy, and interest rates are at levels not seen in decades. The economy is being strained, and Bank of Canada deputy governor Toni Gravelle admitted the immigration policy is contributing greatly to inflation. The increased population is driving up demand for housing that has failed to keep up with population growth.

As a result, Canada has a “mirage” of economic prosperity. Increased migration does mean more workers producing products, which means more economic output, or gross domestic product. The problem is, Canada’s gdp is barely growing. It has more workers but no correlating growth. Instead of helping the economy, increased immigration is hindering it. And Canada’s propensity for social programs means that increased immigration is only putting more people on the government dole without creating additional tax revenue to support it. This will only run up the debt more.

“The Canadian economy on a per-capita basis is flat on its back,” said David Rosenberg, chief economist and strategist at Rosenberg Research. Through population growth “you can create this mirage of economic prosperity, but in the end that’s what it is, a mirage,” he said.

These kinds of policies are putting the nation on track for an economic and social collapse. Hard data proves that’s the trajectory. And Bible prophecy foretold it.

Far from being an outdated book, the Bible is the best source for understanding current news. In biblical language, Canada, along with Britain and the other Commonwealth countries, is referred to as Ephraim (request and study our free book The United States and Britain in Prophecy to learn more).

In the book of Hosea, God foretold the government policies we’re witnessing in Canada today—and their consequences. Hosea 7:8-13 condemn the nation because we’ve “mixed [ourselves] among the people,” referring to our out-of-control immigration policy, and because our thinking is like that of a “silly dove.” This is all happening because the nation has rebelled against God (verse 14).

What is the result? God says our nation is like “a cake not turned” (verse 8). We’re just like a burned-out cake ready to crumble. It’s all a “mirage” of prosperity. God says, “Strangers have devoured [our] strength.” Look at the worsening economic conditions and see if our economic strength is being consumed before us. God says “woe” to the nation because of what’s coming.

However, there is wonderful good news in what God prophesies to come. Though we have brought this suffering and destruction on ourselves because of our rebellion, God says He will save us (Hosea 13:4, 9). The intense troubles prophesied to come will be eclipsed by an even greater time of prosperity and abundance. That is what we want to keep our eyes locked on. Be sure to request and study our free booklet Hosea—Reaping the Whirlwind for more details on these stunning prophecies.