Westminster Magistrate's Court in London heard that Mr Owda provided a "one-stop shop" for people wishing to move to Europe, providing them with fake identities, accommodation and transport.
The court heard that the 26-year-old Palestinian operated his criminal network from a hostel in Liverpool while he was claiming asylum in the UK, after arriving 18 months ago in the back of a lorry. He was arrested in dawn raids and found with US$25,000 (£17,000) cash hidden in his room.
National Crime Agency officers received a tip-off from Greek police and then tracked Owda down to an asylum center in Liverpool. Owda was arrested along with 22 other suspected gang members from Greece and Syria after raids were carried out in Greece, Austria and Sweden.
The people smuggling gang is believed to have moved migrants from Turkey to Greece to other EU member states through the Balkan route, which has become popular among refugees, migrants and asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
The transport was carried out by Greek members of the gang, who were coordinated by an Albanian man.
The EU's law enforcement agency, Europol, said the gang of 23 people has allegedly been operating since 2013, accruing an estimated total of nearly US$10 million (£7m).
"The migrants paid the facilitators via money-transfer services or with cash. As well as communicating by mobile phone, the suspects attempted to keep a low profile and elude capture by making use of social media channels and online communication platforms", Europol said.
Prosecutor Marinder Dhillon told Westminster Magistrates Court: "He facilitated the exit of at least 95 people from Greece as well as facilitating five other groups of people of [an] unknown number.
"He also facilitated the exit, or attempted exit, of another 15 but this failed due to increased police presence. It is said that he was paid at least 1,500 euros per trafficking, potentially illegally making him hundreds of thousands of euros," Dhillon told the court.
Mr Owda faces being extradited to Greece and was remanded in custody ahead of court hearings in March and April 2016. His lawyer said he will oppose extradition on human rights grounds because of the state of Greek prisons.
