Latvian migrant workers first arrived on the island of Guernsey in the mid-1990s. This was due to relatively high unemployment in Latvia, as well as low wages. Initially, immigrants were employed in horticulture, and only married women were employed. Only later were they allowed to invite family members to work. The work was hard, up to 60-80 hours per week, with virtually no holidays for 9 months, then three months' home leave. The higher salaries in Guernsey made it possible to send money home, as well as gradually repay bank loans. In later years, immigrants were also employed in hotel cleaning, restaurants, and cafes. A larger number of Latvians came to Guernsey with their families after 2004, when Latvia joined the European Union. The attitude of the Guernsey government and employers towards Latvians had also changed, recognising their work ethic and abilities.

By 2005-2007 Guernsey was called “Little Latvia”, because around 6000-7000 Latvians lived and worked here during the season. Although the workload was heavy, Latvians gradually began to enjoy the various leisure opportunities that were available.

On 5 June 2006, the Guernsey Latvian Association (GLA) was founded. On 2 October 2015, it was registered as a charity, and now is the main organiser of Latvian social life in Guernsey. Under its auspices there is a Latvian book club and a choir; the Latvian weekly mother-tongue school "Cielaviņa" is currently closed, but hoping to open again in the future. GLA also organizes the Latvian National Independence Day and Lāčplēsis Day celebration, and the St John’s night (Jāņi) festivities. The Latvian community, under the leadership of Lilita Krūze, Honorary Consul in Guernsey, has established good co-operation with the Latvian Embassy in the United Kingdom in London, the Latvian National Council in Great Britain (LNPL), as well as with the Latvian evangelical Lutheran church in Britain. At Christmas and Easter, visiting pastors come to hold services in the Latvian language. Thanks to the cooperation with the embassy and the LNPL, there has been a good opportunity to introduce all the islanders to Latvian culture and history by arranging travelling exhibitions from the Latvian Occupation Museum and the National Library of Latvia at Guernsey Airport; Latvian musicians also often visit.

On 3 April 2017, a new “Population Management Law” came into force in Guernsey and hundreds of Latvians were forced to leave, but many remained. Some of them have been living in Guernsey for two generations. Many Latvians have already become employers, developing business in the restaurant and café, beauty salon and retail industries.

In 2019, Lilita Krūze's book “Latvians in Guernsey” which summarizes Latvian stories about life and work in Guernsey, was published by the Honorary Consul of Latvia in Guernsey. The English translation of the book was published in July 2020.