I. Introduction: Living Under Siege 
In El Salvador, families are trapped in a relentless cycle of violence and fear driven by organised crime. Powerful gangs, particularly MS-13 and Barrio 18, dominate entire neighbourhoods, enforcing extortion, forced recruitment, and brutal retaliation. For countless households, the only escape from this suffocating reality is to risk dangerous journeys abroad, even at the cost of separation, hardship, and uncertainty. The forced displacement of families illustrates the failure of the state to protect its citizens and the devastating impact of criminal domination. 

II. Gangs as De Facto Authorities 
In many Salvadoran communities, gangs operate as parallel authorities. They dictate who may enter or leave a neighbourhood, control public spaces, and decide the fates of families through coercion. This dominance leaves households with little autonomy, as refusal to comply with gang demands can mean violent death. The state’s absence from these areas exacerbates families’ vulnerability. 

III. Extortion and Economic Strain 
Extortion, or ‘la renta,’ is the primary method gangs use to exert control and finance their operations. Small businesses, bus drivers, and even informal vendors are forced to pay regular fees under threat of violence. Families unable to meet these demands face deadly retaliation, forcing many to abandon their homes and livelihoods in search of safety elsewhere. 

IV. Forced Recruitment of Children 
Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to the predation of gangs. Boys are coerced into joining as lookouts, couriers, or armed recruits, while girls are subjected to sexual violence or forced relationships with gang leaders. Parents, fearing for their children’s futures, often uproot their families to protect them from being absorbed into the cycle of gang violence.

V. Women and Gendered Violence 
El Salvador has one of the world’s highest rates of femicide, with women and girls facing severe risks under organised crime. They are targeted for sexual violence, harassment, and killings, often as a means of punishing or intimidating families. For many mothers, migration becomes a desperate act to protect their daughters from gender-based violence. 

VI. Internal Displacement Before Exile 
Before fleeing the country, many families attempt to relocate within El Salvador. They move from one neighbourhood or city to another in hopes of escaping gang control. However, gangs’ territorial reach extends nationwide, and families quickly discover that relocation offers only temporary respite. Ultimately, international migration becomes the only sustainable escape from organised crime. 

VII. State Failure and Complicity 
The Salvadoran state has proven largely incapable of protecting families from organised crime. Police forces are often underfunded, corrupt, or complicit with gangs. Some officers participate in extortion or turn a blind eye to crimes, leaving families without avenues for justice. This state failure reinforces the perception that fleeing is the only viable solution. 

VIII. Harsh Security Policies and Repression 
Government crackdowns, such as mass arrests and militarised security operations, have been touted as solutions to organised crime. However, these policies often result in arbitrary detentions, human rights abuses, and little long-term impact on gang power. For families, state repression adds another layer of danger, further incentivising migration abroad. 

IX. Dangerous Journeys Abroad 
Families fleeing El Salvador embark on perilous journeys through Guatemala and Mexico toward the United States. Along the way, they face kidnappings, assaults, and extortion from both cartels and corrupt officials. Despite these dangers, the hope of safety for their children drives families to take extraordinary risks, often travelling with little more than their determination to survive. 

X. Trauma of Separation 
Migration frequently results in family separation, as parents and children are divided during journeys or by immigration systems in destination countries. This separation inflicts deep psychological trauma, compounding the violence families sought to escape. Despite these hardships, many parents view separation as preferable to the loss of their children to gang violence. 

XI. Diaspora Support Networks 
Salvadoran diaspora communities provide critical support for displaced families. Networks in the United States, Canada, and Spain offer housing, advocacy, and financial assistance, helping families rebuild their lives. These transnational connections also keep international attention on the crisis at home. 

XII. Conclusion: Survival at Any Cost 
For families in El Salvador, organised crime leaves no room for safety or dignity. Trapped between gangs, corruption, and state failure, households choose migration as a last resort. By risking perilous journeys and separation, families demonstrate extraordinary resilience in the face of despair. Until the state dismantles gang power and restores rule of law, Salvadoran families will continue to risk everything in search of survival abroad.