The root of the noun refugeebee is an amalgam of refugee and GB – short for Great Britain.

A refugeebee is not simply a Briton who has gone to live abroad; the term expat or expatriate covers such people adequately.

A refugeebee is generally assumed to be a Briton who has either exiled him- or herself ex of the UK, or – in some cases – perhaps fled to other shores.

This phrase does not appear to have been used before 2004 and has, to date, been used very infrequently, with the contributor having found one reference in The Telegraph Property section of April 9, 2005.

The writer of the article was Michael White.
“The refugeebees of Phuket or Provence are the same; they whine about the lack of Tetley Teabags and McVitie’s Digestive Biscuits on the supermarket shelves.”

NB Contributor's example.
by Roo April 12, 2005
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