The truth behind a threatening message used to incite hatred against migrants has been revealed.
A controversial threat message used to criticize migrants in Upper Austria has been proven fake. Authorities confirmed that the email, which was presented as evidence of hospital chaos linked to migration, was fabricated and sent from outside the country.
The message was publicly shown by the FPÖ (Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs – Freedom Party of Austria) during a press conference led by مانفريد هايمبوخنر, deputy governor of Upper Austria. He argued that immigration had worsened conditions in hospitals and proposed creating a separate health insurance fund for non-EU migrants, limiting treatment to emergencies if costs were not covered.
The email claimed that the sender’s mother had died in a hospital and ended with “Long live Islam,” followed by a threat to return with a weapon and kill staff. The FPÖ used this message to illustrate what it described as deteriorating security in hospitals run by the Upper Austrian Health Holding.
However, police and prosecutors quickly established that the threat was entirely fabricated. Prosecutor أولريكه برايتنيدر in Linz said the sender was a teenager born in 2009 from Halle an der Saale, in the German state of Sachsen-Anhalt. The same person had sent similar threats to hospitals in Steiermark and Salzburg.
Investigators concluded that the message did not reflect real conditions in Upper Austrian hospitals but was a hoax from abroad. The case has reignited debate over how isolated incidents and unverified claims are used in political arguments about migration and public services.